FULL NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE RELEASE
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Less than 48 hours prior to beginning its quest for a Northeast-10 Conference Championship as the top seeded team, the New Haven women's tennis team racked up the honors with seven players earning 13 different accolades while second-year head coach Chris Raffone was tabbed the Coach of the Year according to his peers.
After finishing the regular season undefeated, it should come as little surprise that the Chargers earned an honors at all six singles positions and all three doubles positions. Highlighting the honors were four distinctions that followed undefeated conference records including Risako Umekuni (Saitama, Japan/Shumei Eiko), Agustina Ravera (Miramar, Fla./Broward Virtual School) and Victoria Togores (Canary Islands, Spain/Colegio Hispano Ingles) in singles play and Valentinna Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) and Karim Carreras (Asuncion, Paraguay/Colegio Bautista de Villa Morra) in doubles play.
Umekuni (No. 3 singles), Ravera (No. 6) and Togores (No. 4) were part of four different players to earn All-Conference First Team honors in singles action as they were joined by Laura Ortner (Schlierbach, Austria/BRG Kirchdorf) who earned the accolade at No. 5 singles with a 6-2 overall record. Umekuni led the way among all four with a perfect 8-0 record in conference play, 7-0 in the No. 3 position and 1-0 at No. 1. Ravera followed her with a 6-0 singles record in conference, including 5-0 at No. 6 and 1-0 at No. 5. Togores finished her rookie season 5-0 in conference play, all of which came at No. 4 singles, while Ortner finished with a 6-1 record in conference action with the majority (5-1) at the No.5 position.
Rounding out the first team honors were a pair of doubles sets including the undefeated duo at No. 1 doubles of Ferrarini and Carreras who finished a perfect 8-0 in the fall, including 7-0 in Northeast-10 Conference play. Joining that pair in earning First Team honors was the No.3 duo of Leni Bischof (Aigen, Austria/BRG Stainach) and Ortner who combined to finish 7-0 overall at No. 3, 6-0 in conference action.
Bischof added to her First Team doubles award by earning Second Team distinction at No. 6 singles where she finished a perfect 2-0 with both of those victories in conference play. Joining her in earning second team honors was the No. 2 doubles pair of Togores and Umekuni who finished 5-2 overall for the fall, including 4-2 in NE10 matches.
The individual honors continued with two more players earning NE10 Third Team compliments in singles action with Ferrarini and Carreras each earning the distinction, while the trio of Bischof, Ortner and Togores also secured All-Rookie honors. As the No. 1 singles player for the Blue and Gold, Ferrarini concluded her regular season with a 7-2 record in the top position with all but one of those decision in conference play (6-2). Carreras completed her fall regular season campaign with a 5-2 record at No. 2 singles, 4-2 in NE10 matches.
Under the direction of second-year head coach Chris Raffone, the New Haven women's tennis team completed its first ever undefeated regular season with an unblemished 9-0 overall record, 8-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Chargers will begin their quest for an NE10 title on Friday afternoon when they welcome the No. 4 seeded Southern New Hampshire Penmen for a semifinal match-up. The postseason match will begin with doubles play at 1:00 p.m. with all of the action available live on the Chargers YouTube channel complimentary to all viewers.
