All-NECC Tennis Team Loaded With Hawks

ATTLEBORO, Mass.- All four  New England Collegiate Conference women's tennis programs were represented on the  2008 All-NECC  Women's Tennis Team and NECC major awards, announced yesterday  by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the all-conference team, three major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award winner were recognized at the first day of the 2008 Championships.

Bay Path College senior Raquel Babeu (North Adams, Mass.) received top honors, as she was named NECC Player of the Year.  Babeu is a four-year member of the Wildcats' tennis team and is set to graduate this spring with a degree in Legal Studies.  Babeu won the 2007 NAC Women's Tennis Player of the Year in their former conference. She finished regular season play with a 6-0 singles record in the NECC and 4-1 in conference doubles action. Overall Babeu finished the year with a 9-3 #1 singles record and 6-4 #1 doubles record.

"This has been a great year and Bay Path has come a long way this season," said Babeu. "I couldn't have done as well my senior year without my team and I am very proud of our success."

The NECC Rookie of the Year went to freshman Shauna McNally (Shrewsbury, Mass.) from Becker College. The Hawks' first year student-athlete is a Psychology major.  McNally finished regular season play with 12-3 overall record and 6-0 in conference play at the #3, #4 and #5 singles positions. In doubles play, she was 11-4 and 5-1 in the NECC.

"It's been a really fun year and I am glad to be a part of a winning team like Becker," stated McNally. "I am happy with the outcome of this year and have been glad that I could help out my team."

Mitchell College's Rick Carmona was honored as NECC Coach of the Year along with the Mariners' being the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award. The Mariners' finished the season with a 3-10 record playing their final regular season match to a 9-0 victory. 

"I am very happy with the way our first season went," said Carmona. "We have a lot to look forward to in the near future as we are extremely fortunate for our learning experience as new members of the NECC. We are looking to make a strong showing next season."

Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was conducted among NECC women's tennis coaches.

Joining Babeu and McNally on the first team for singles were Becker's sophomore Catherine Sivret (Stowe, Mass.), Bay Path's junior Julia Bendzin (Poestenkill, N.Y.), Bay Path's freshman Sarah Costa (Tiverton, R.I.) and Becker's freshman Allison Flynn (Wilmington, Mass.).

Four doubles teams' were also chosen to the first team for the NECC. Becker's McNally and sophomore Danielle Stryker (Ledyard, Mass.) along with Bay Path's Costa and junior Cristina Ruiz (Waterbury, Conn.), Bendzin and junior Kara Fox (Biddeford, Maine) and Newbury's senior Anna Collins (Hopkinton, Mass.) and sophomore Stephanie Valentine (Pleasant Valley, Conn.) all were honored.

Three Newbury Nighthawks' received honorable mention including Collins and Valentine along with junior Jillian Wojtowicz (Palmer, Mass.) in singles action. Wojtowicz along with her tandem partner freshman Kristen Connors (Riverside, R.I.) grabbed honorable mention for doubles play.

2008 NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

 ALL-NECC First Team
SINGLES

Raquel Babeu*                    Bay Path       SR                   North Adams, Mass.

Catherine Sivret*               Becker           SO                   Stow, Mass.

Julia Bendzin                        Bay Path       JR                    Poestenkill, N.Y.
Sarah Costa                          Bay Path       FR                   Tiverton, R.I.

Allison Flynn                        Becker           SR                   Wilmington, Mass.
Shauna McNally                 Becker           FR                   Shrewsbury, Mass.

ALL-NECC First Team
DOUBLES

Shauna McNally/Danielle Stryker*                           Becker                  FR/SO                   Shrewsbury, Mass./Ledyard, Conn.
Sarah Costa/Cristina Ruiz                                              Bay Path              FR/JR                     Tiverton, R.I./Waterbury, Conn.
Anna Collins/Stephanie Valentine                            Newbury             SR/SO                   Hopkinton, Mass./Pleasant Valley,Conn.

Julia Bendzin/Kara Fox                                                   Bay Path              JR/JR                     Poestenkill, N.Y./Biddeford, Maine

ALL-NECC Honorable Mention
SINGLES

Anna Collins                         Newbury      SR                   Hopkinton, Mass.

Stephanie Valentine          Newbury      SO                   Pleasant Valley, Conn.
Jillian Wojtowicz                Newbury      JR                    Palmer, Mass.

ALL-NECC Honorable Mention
DOUBLES

Kristen Connors/Jillian Wojtowicz                             Newbury             FR/JR                     Riverside, R.I./Palmer, Mass.
*Unanimous First Team Selection

2008 Women's Tennis Honors

2008 NECC Player of the Year: Raquel Babeu, Bay Path

2008 NECC Rookie of the Year: Shauna McNally, Becker

2008 NECC Coach of the Year: Rick Carmona, Mitchell

2008 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award:  Mitchell Mariners

Christa Parulis-Kaye

Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations