Simmons Women's Tennis Captures 11th GNAC Championship in 12 Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOX SCORE

Courtesy of Simmons Athletics Communications

WINCHESTER, Mass. – Senior Meg Cokely (Haverhill, Mass.) was a double-winner for the second straight day and also became the school's career leader in doubles wins, while helping the top-seeded Simmons College women's tennis team to an 8-1 victory over No. 3 seed Johnson & Wales University to capture the 2015 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship (GNAC) Sunday afternoon at the Winchester Indoor Lawn Tennis Center in Winchester, Mass.

The Sharks win their eighth straight conference crown and 11th in the last 12 years to earn a bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament in May. Simmons wins its fifth consecutive match to improve to 9-5 on the season, while the Wildcats fall to 12-4. 

Cokely (10-2 singles, 14-4 doubles) paired with junior Theresa Reinhard (Canton, Ohio) 7-4 singles, 14-4 doubles) to earn an 8-3 victory at number one doubles over Johnson & Wales junior Morgan Thompson (Fargo, N.D.) and first year Victoria Pizzulo (Lafayette, N.J.) to put the Sharks on the board. The victory was the 53rd of Cokely's career to give her one more than Sabrina Salmela (2009-13) to become Simmons tennis' career leader in doubles victories. 

The senior combination of Katie Crowley (Reading, Mass.) (7-4 singles, 8-5 doubles) and Rachael Downey(Groveland, Mass.) (7-5 singles, 12-5 doubles) defeated senior Emily Glass (Sterling, Conn.) and first year Delaney Macchirole (Greenport, N.Y.), 8-2, at second doubles. Sophomore Mary Matthews (Wakefield, R.I.) (1-3 singles, 8-8 doubles) and first year Ashley Chen (Hilo, Hawaii) (7-5 singles, 10-11 doubles) came back from a 4-1 deficit to earn a 9-7 decision over the Wildcats' tandem of sophomore Taylor Klein (Johnson, N.Y.) and first year Lauren Torre (New Fairfield, Conn.) and give the Sharks a sweep in doubles play for a 3-0 lead. 

Downey, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, brought Simmons to within a point of the title with a 6-1, 6-2 win at fourth singles over Torre. Cokely dropped just one game at number two singles in a 6-0, 6-1 win over Glass to give the Sharks the decisive fifth point. She was also tabbed to the All-Tournament team. 

Chen increased the Simmons lead to 6-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph at number five singles over junior Samantha Gambino (Middletown, Conn.). Reinhard was the victor at first singles for the Sharks with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Thompson and finished the tournament with a combined 3-0 mark to earn Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Crowley earned a 6-3, 6-2 victory at number three singles over Klein, who was an All-Tournament selection, for an 8-0 advantage. Johnson and Wales scored its lone point of the match at sixth singles with Macchirole defeating Simmons junior Ashley Pierce (Carver, Mass.) (6-4 singles, 3-2 doubles). Macchirole earned a spot on the All-Tournament team following the match. 

The Sharks return to action on Saturday, April 16 when they travel to Waltham, Mass. to take on Division II Bentley University at 10:00 a.m., while the Wildcats host University of Massachusetts Boston on April 3 at 1:00 p.m.