WOMEN'S TENNIS FINISHES DAY 1 OF NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 11, 2008

WOMEN'S TENNIS FINISHES DAY 1 AT NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

FAIRFIELD, CONN.- Emma Czarnecki (Huntington Woods, Mich.) and Katie Francazio (Cranston, R.I.) each earned a spot in the third place match in their respective brackets, as they Bryant women's tennis team completed play in the first day of the New England Championships on Saturday. Czarnecki, playing first singles, won her first round match, 7-5, 6-1, over Caitlin Dunn from Merrimack, before falling to Dana Postupack of Fairfield, 6-1, 6-1. She will take on Sacred Heart's Kate Donnelly tomorrow.

Francazio, playing second singles, won a hard-fought match of Kara Pease of Sacred Heart. after losing the first set, 6-3, the sophomore won the second set in a tiebreak, 7-5, and took the third set, 6-3. She then fell to Julianne Kasinow, also from Sacred Heart, 6-0, 6-2. Francazio will Fairfield's Paulina Rys tomorrow.

Also in singles action, Valerie Couto-Cuervo (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) fell in the first round of the third flight, but won in the consolation bracket over Meg Gilroy from Providence, 6-0, 6-1. She will play for fifth place tomorrow.

Amanda Granville (Hawley, Pa.) will be playing in the fifth place match tomorrow as well, beating Nikki Haynal of Hartford, 6-1, 6-3, in fourth flight singles.

Talia Aviani (East Rockaway, N.J.) will be in the same position as Granville and Couto-Cuervo, winning her consolation round match, 6-3, 6-3, over Merrimack's Elise Dufour.

Martha Chapman (Orange, Conn.) will play for seventh place in fifth flight singles, falling in her consolation match to Jenn Cusack from Providence in a third set tiebreak, 1-6, 6-2, 10-5.

In doubles action, the Bulldogs did not have any of their pairs advance past the first round. They will all play in the consolation round tomorrow.