University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies win first-ever New England Championship
10/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
BURLINGTON, VT - The University of Connecticut women’s tennis team captured their first-ever New England Women’s Championship on Sunday at the University of Vermont’s Patrick Gym Tennis Facility.
The Huskies dominated the tournament, winning five of six singles championships and two of three doubles titles. The Huskies reached the finals in every bracket, with their only two losses coming at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.
Connecticut, which came in with eight out of a possible nine top seeds, began the final morning with all three doubles teams competing. The duo of Natalie Tirapelli (Fr., St. Petersburg, FL) and Colleen Connors (Jr., Ormond Beach, FL) captured the No. 2 doubles championship 8-6, while teammates Barbara Schumsky (Fr., West Hartford, CT) and Jennifer LoRusso (Fr., Shoreham, NY) were victorious at No. 3, winning 8-1.
The Huskies continued their quest for the championship by winning five of the six singles championships, including four by freshmen. Whitney Simcik (Fr., Exeter, PA) won at No. 2, Tirapelli at No. 3, LoRusso at No. 4, Schumsky at No. 5 and Connors at No. 6.
Connecticut will be back in action on Wednesday, October 24 when they host Hartford for a match at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday’s results are as follows:
No. 1 Singles
Brooke Rubin (Providence) def. Trinell Russell (UC) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
No. 2 Singles
Whitney Simcik (UC) def. Kim LeDonne (New Hampshire) 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Singles
Natalie Tirapelli (UC) def. Brittany Burns (Holy Cross) 6-0, 6-4
No. 4 Singles
Jennifer LoRusso (UC) def. Erica Fugelsan (Holy Cross) 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 Singles
Barbara Schumsky (UC) def. Alie Taylor (Vermont) 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 Singles
Colleen Connors (UC) def. Nicole Rodger (Providence) 6-1, 6-1
No. 1 Doubles
Johnson/Russel (New Hampshire) def. Russel/Simcik (UC) 8-2
No. 2 Doubles
Tirapelli/Connors (UC) def. Levy/Levy (Holy Cross) 8-6
No. 3 Doubles
Schumsky/LoRusso (UC) def. Taylor/O’Brien (Vermont) 8-1
