For the first time since moving up to Division I, the Binghamton University women’s tennis team is seeded at the top for the America East tournament.
The Bearcats (14-2, 3-0 AE) earned a first-round bye and will face either UMBC or Albany in the semifinals, which will once again be held at Yale University. Junior Lauren Bates leads the Bearcats with a stellar 24-8 record this season, and went 14-2 at first singles. She is now one of only three players in school history with 70 career singles victories. Junior Anna Edelman, who was nationally ranked by the ITA for several weeks during the season, also had a remarkable season. Edelman comes into the tourney with a 15-3 singles record, and a 16-1 record in doubles matches with Marina Bykovskaya.
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the Bearcats is Boston Univeristy, last season’s defending champions. The Terriers are the second-ranked team heading into the tournament, but are still heavy favorites to win. Boston has clinched the last 16 conference championships and was once again predicted to finish on top in the preseason coaches’ poll. The greatest threat to Binghamton is sophomore Terrier Stefanie Nunic, 2009’s Most Outstanding Player of the America East tournament and AE’s Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. She will be the No. 1 singles on her team, and will pose quite a threat to the Bearcats. The Terriers will also receive a bye, and will play the winner of Stony Brook University and the University of Hartford.
Not far behind, the third-seeded Stony Brook Seawolves ended its regular season with a 16-4 record, and went 7-1 in the final matches, with the only loss coming against Binghamton. Freshman Nini Lagvilava and sophomore Anna Pieschel are a formidable duo. Lagvilava is 17-2, and Pieschi is 21-2, including a win over Anna Edelman.
After the Retrievers beat Delaware, they had a dual match record of 15-7, good for fourth place in the conference. Seniors Alice Chen and Barbara Cuoto will be looked at for leadership to beat Albany. Chen was 10-5 at first singles and Cuoto was 15-5 at number six. They have a tough road ahead of them, as Binghamton lurks ahead.
The Albany Great Danes finished the season at 9-7 and will face UMBC in the first round. Junior transfer Livia Gherman, who had a 9-8 singles record, leads them. It is going to be tough playoffs for the Danes, as this year is one of the most competitive in conference history.
Hartford brings up the rear, but while its record is far worse than that of the other teams, its upset potential should not be taken lightly. The Hawks defeated Wagner 7-0 during the regular season, and could always be a force to be reckoned with.
The semifinal match against the winner of the UMBC-Albany match are set for 1 p.m. Saturday.