Posted: Aug 28, 2015

Tennis picked to finish third in NAC Preseason Poll

North Adams, MA- The MCLA Women's Tennis program was selected to finish third in the NAC preseason poll following a vote of the league's coaching staff. The Trailblazers, under the direction of Holly McGovern, advanced into the semifinal round of the NAC playoffs a year ago.

Three-time defending champion Colby-Sawyer College was unanimously selected as the preseason favorite to win the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division Women's Tennis Championship after receiving all eight first-place votes in the coaches' poll. Castleton University placed second with 52 points, while Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts claimed third with 41 points and Thomas College was selected fourth after earning 39 points. Rounding out the poll was Lyndon State College in fifth (29 points), Johnson State College in sixth (28 points), Husson University in seventh (23 points), and Green Mountain College in eighth (12 points).

The top two teams in the 2015 preseason poll competed for the NEAC East title a season ago, as Colby-Sawyer and Castleton both earned wins in the semifinal round of the divisional championship. Colby-Sawyer posted a 6-0 win over Castleton to earn the East Division title and to move on to the NEAC/NAC Crossover Championship.

The Chargers won their third-straight crossover championship after defeating Penn State Berks, 9-0, to receive the NEAC's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Colby-Sawyer's postseason run ended in the first round of the national tournament at the hands of Babson, as the Beavers claimed a 5-0 victory.

MCLA opens play on Thursday at Bay Path.