NEW PALTZ, NY — The SUNY New Paltz women s tennis team will attempt to defend their 2002 SUNYAC Championship this weekend (Oct. 10-12) when they travel to the Eastside Racquet Club in Manillus, NY for this year s league championship.
The three-day event will begin on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. with the first round singles matches. The tournament resumes on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. with the singles quarterfinal and semifinal matches and the first round of the doubles competition. The final day of the championship commences at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday with the singles and doubles championships.
Head coach Rob Bruley, the 2002 SUNYAC Coach of the Year, has guided the Hawks to an 8-1 record this season. New Paltz opened the season with a second place finish among five teams at the RPI Invitational and went on to win their first seven dual matches before suffering their only loss of the year, 8-1, to local rival Vassar College.
New Paltz went 3-0 against SUNYAC rivals Potsdam, Plattsburgh, and Oneonta this season. The Hawks also had matches against SUNYAC foes Brockport and Cortland postponed due to weather while their match against Geneseo was called because of darkness with New Paltz trailing 4-3.
The Hawks compiled a 42-14 mark in singles play and a 20-10 record in doubles action this season. New Paltz possessed a balanced lineup, led by junior co-captain Kerry Farrell (Rockville Centre, NY) and senior co-captain Becky Sparacin (Goshen, NY). Farrell, who advanced to the SUNYAC semifinals in the number one singles flight in 2002, was the number one singles player this season for the Hawks where she accumulated a 7-2 mark at the position (8-2 overall).
Sparacin, the reigning SUNYAC champion at the number two singles flight, posted a record of 4-1 at number two singles this season (5-1 overall). The duo teamed up to capture the SUNYAC championship at number one doubles last year and were again the Hawks number one doubles team this season where they amassed a 5-1 record.
Sisters Amie and Jen Larson (Port Jervis, NY) also had outstanding seasons for New Paltz. Amie, a junior and the defending SUNYAC champion at number five singles, compiled an impressive 8-1 mark at number four singles. Jen, a freshman, went 7-1 at number five singles (8-1 overall) and lost only one game in her first four matches. The sisters partnered up to go 8-2 as the Hawks number two doubles team.
Junior Jessica Smith (Newport News, VA) enjoyed a strong season for the Hawks at number six singles where she recorded a 6-1 mark (7-1 overall). Smith teamed up with sophomore Sara Goldstein (Merrick, NY) at number three doubles and the pair amassed a 4-2 record.
Goldstein was a versatile player who saw action at number two, number three, and number six singles and posted a 2-3 mark in singles play.
New Paltz had plenty of depth with junior Amanda Rosario (Bronx, NY) and freshmen Kim Barnwell (Beacon, NY) and Carolyn Rounds (Marlboro, NY) seeing playing time in several matches this season. Rosario spent the majority of the season as the Hawks number three singles player and saw action at number one doubles with Farrell and number three doubles with Goldstein. Barnwell won her only match at number six singles against Stevens Tech and played number three doubles with Smith, Goldstein and Rounds.
