SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Jumping out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, fifth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University blanked No. 4 seed Saint Michael's College 5-0 in the first round of the 2014 Northeast-10 Women's Tennis Championship Wednesday afternoon at The EDGE.  The Penmen, who avenged a 5-4 setback to the Purple Knights during the regular season, improve to 13-7 overall, while Saint Michael's likely sees its season come to an end at 11-8 overall.

The win gives Southern New Hampshire its seventh straight appearance in the NE-10 semifinals, as the Penmen advance to face top-seeded Merrimack College on Friday, April 25 at 2:00 pm in North Andover, Mass.  SNHU fell to the Warriors 7-2 in the regular season finale on April 17.

Southern New Hampshire jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play.  Yolanda Green (Springfield, Mass.) and Allison Valentine (New Hartford, Conn.) finished first, earning an 8-5 win at No. 3.  Diana Vamvakitis (Wading River, N.Y.) and Sarah Schöllgen (Meerbusch, Germany) were 8-3 winners at No. 1, while Jamie Hann (Westhampton, N.Y.) and Kirsten Jean (Bedford, N.H.) posted an 8-5 triumph at No. 2.

Vamvakitis put the Penmen up 4-0 with her 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles, while Jean clinched the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 4.  Southern New Hampshire led in two of the three other singles matches that had begun, with Schöllgen headed to a third set at No. 2.  Hann and Green also led their matches at the point the match had ended.

SNHU will be seeking its fifth straight trip to the Northeast-10 championship final on Friday.

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Southern New Hampshire 5, Saint Michael's College 0
04/23/14 at South Burlington, Vt. (The EDGE)