Women's Tennis Ranked Second in NEAC Preseason Poll

FULL RESULTS: NEAC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll (PDF)

GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – The Wells College women's tennis team was voted to finish second in the first-ever North Eastern Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Poll, the conference office announced Thursday afternoon. The final rankings were determined following a poll of the league's head coaches. 

Penn St.-Abington picked up six first-place votes and earned 48 total points as the Nittany Lions were ranked as the preseason favorites in the conference. Wells finished second with 40 points, earning one first-place vote, while the reigning league champions from Penn St.-Berks earned a single first-place vote and collected 39 total points. 

One of the strongest programs in the North Eastern Athletic Conference, the women's tennis team at Wells enters play this spring having qualified for the postseason in four-straight years. Additionally, the Express boast an impressive 21-5 overall record against league opponents since the 2011-12 season. 

In the team portion of the NEAC semifinals last year, Wells fell by a 5-2 margin to Penn St.-Berks but would go on to dominate the individual tournament. The Express won individual titles at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles as Taryn Heath '15, rising senior Brooke Benedetto (Williamstown, N.Y.) and current sophomore Kamarie Maturine (Brooklyn, N.Y.) won all of their individual matches in their respective flights. 

Additionally, the tandem of Heath and Benedetto won the No. 1 doubles title outright after defeating the fourth-ranked duo, 8-4, before sweeping the championship match by an 8-0 score. Cumulatively, Heath won NEAC Women's Tennis Player of the Year and was one of six-different individuals to earn All-Conference merits. 

In the spring portion of the 2015-16 calendar, Wells will return six players from last year's playoff squad. This past spring in three non-conference matches, Wells saw Benedetto post an unblemished record (3-0) at No. 1 singles while Maturine and senior Kevisha Hunt (Germantown, Md.) notched 2-1 records at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. 

Benedetto and Maturine combined to go 3-0 at No. 1 doubles while Hunt and junior Nicole Sanborn (Onondaga, N.Y.) helped the Express go 2-1 at No. 3 doubles. 

The Express will take on the Lakers from Oswego State University this Wednesday, Mar. 9 in a 12 p.m. road match before facing-off against Houghton on Saturday, Mar. 19 at 1 p.m. Wells opens conference play on the road Saturday, Apr. 2 against Penn St.-Abington at high noon. 

The home opener for the Express is slated for Friday, Apr. 15 at 3 p.m. against Lancaster Bible College.

2016 NEAC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll Full Results