EASTON, Mass. – Top-seeded Southern New Hampshire University captured its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis tournament championship with a 5-2 win over second-seeded Stonehill College Sunday afternoon at Charles Watt Tennis Courts.  The Penmen extended their school-record winning streak to 18 matches and improved to 19-1 overall, while the Skyhawks are now 17-3, with two of those losses coming to Southern New Hampshire.

With the victory, Southern New Hampshire earns an automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championship which kicks off Thursday, May 6.  The Penmen were ranked third in East Region in the most recent regional ranking.  Stonehill, which was ranked fourth, will likely earn an at-large bid.  Selections and pairings for the championship will be announced Wednesday (April 28).  SNHU will be making its second-straight NCAA appearance.

SNHU opened by capturing two of three doubles matches.  The Skyhawks took a 1-0 lead when Sarah Hickey and Chelsea Haedrich defeated Samantha Jean (Bedford, N.H.) and Kara Pease (Falmouth, Mass.) 8-1 at No. 3.  Amber Chandronnait (Bow, N.H.) and Alena Mukdaprakorn (Hartford, Conn.) would post a 8-2 win at first doubles over Lindsey Herchel and Samantha Dircks, while Catalina Echeverry (Cali, Colombia) and Alison Waring (Westboro, Mass.) were 8-4 winners at No. 2 over Amy Toegemann and Jacqueline Harrow.

Chandronnait opened singles play by topping Herchel 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 before Waring fell 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 to pull the Skyhawks within 3-2.  Echeverry posted a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3 over Lindsay Simmons, and Mukdaprakorn earned the clinching point with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 2 over Toegemann.

Chandronnait, Mukdaprakorn and Echeverry were all selected to the NE-10 All-Championship Team.  The trio were all 3-0 in doubles play in three matches, while all three posted 2-0 singles marks as Southern New Hampshire topped Merrimack and Saint Michael's in earlier tournament play this week.

DOUBLES

1. Amber Chandronnait/Alena Mukdaprakorn (SNH) def. Lindsey Herchel/Samantha Dircks (STO) 8-2

2. Catalina Echeverry/Alison Waring (SNH) def. Amy Toegemann/Jacqueline Harrow (STO) 8-4

3. Sarah Hickey/Chelsea Haedrich (STO) def. Samantha Jean/Kara Pease (SNH) 8-1

SINGLES
1. Amber Chandronnait (SNH) def. Lindsey Herchel (STO) 6-0, 6-0

2. Alena Mukdaprakorn (SNH) def. Amy Toegemann (STO) 7-5, 6-0

3. Catalina Echeverry (SNH) def. Lindsay Simmons (STO) 6-0, 6-1

4. Sarah Hickey (STO) def. Alison Waring (SNH) 6-1, 6-1

5. Paige Frost (STO) vs. Samantha Jean (SNH) 3-6, 5-4, unfinished

6. Chelsea Haedrich (STO) vs. Kara Pease (SNH) 7-6 (7-2), 3-4, unfinished

RECORDS: SNHU 19-1 STO 17-3