Deaso, Sfakianaki named All NAC in Women's Tennis
2015 All NAC Women's Tennis Team
North Adams, MA- A pair of MCLA women's tennis players were selected to the All NAC team as announced by the league offices this morning. Trailblazers' Emily Deaso and Mariza Sfakianaki were honored as both singles players and as a doubles pairing. Trailblazer senior Kylie Dumas was also selected to represent the NAC Sportsmanship team for her efforts this season.
Deaso had a strong season playing primarily out of the top slot all season long. She was named to the All NAC first team singles squad after going 9-4 overall this season, including a solid 6-1 mark against conference opponents. Sfakianaki was named to the second team singles squad after posting an impressive 11-1 overall mark which included a 5-1 record against NAC foes.
The duo were also tough to beat playing out of the top doubles slot. They went 8-4 on the season on their way to making the All NAC first team doubles. The pairing went 5-1 in conference play as their only loss in conference play was to the Colby Sawyer duo of Ramsay and Woodside.
Colby-Sawyer senior Ashlyn Ramsay (Barkhamsted, Conn.) has been selected as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division Women's Tennis Player of the Year, while Charger teammate Aislinn O'Connor (New Fairfield, Conn.) was tabbed Rookie of the Year and Husson's Sarah Smith (Calais, Maine) was named the Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year. Colby-Sawyer head coach Barry Schoonmaker was voted the 2015 NEAC Coach of the Year and eight women's tennis student-athletes were selected to the NEAC East Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Team to headline the 2015 All-Conference announcement.
Joining O'Connor and Ramsay on the first team singles all-conference squad were sophomore Charger teammate Ashley Woodside (Hampden, Maine), Husson freshman Meridith Blessard (Lincoln, Maine), MCLA sophomore Emily Deaso (Pittsfield, Mass.), and Thomas junior Lindsey Allen (Jay, Maine).
First team doubles selections include the Colby-Sawyer duo of Ramsay and Woodside, the MCLA tandem of Deaso and sophomore Mariza Sfakianaki(Williamstown, Mass.), and the Husson team of Blessard and junior Katie Pratt (Rockport, Maine).
Second team singles honorees include Castleton sophomore Ciara Bannister (St. Albans, Vt.), freshman Jackie Lisak (Rochester, N.Y.), and seniors Sara Novenstern (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and Meg Susslin (St. Albans, Vt.), Johnson State junior Katherina Von Woerkom (Ashville, N.C.), and MCLA's Sfakianaki.
Second team doubles choices include the Castleton pairs of Bannister and freshman Kirsten Kruk (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and Lisak and Novenstern and the Colby-Sawyer team of sophomore Evelyn Miller (Smithfield, R.I.) and O'Connor.
New to the conference this season is the selection of a Sportsmanship Team which is reserved for those who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The honorees are individuals who have positively affected the women's tennis culture and match environment and whose behavior clearly demonstrates sportsmanship and integrity that go beyond the women's tennis playing rules and etiquette. The following eight individuals have been selected to the NEAC East Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Team, Castleton freshman Kirsten Kruk (Clifton Park, N.Y.), Colby-Sawyer sophomoreLauren Blanchard (Agawam, Mass.), Green Mountain sophomore Paige Vlahos (Little Silver, N.J.), Husson junior Katie Pratt (Rockport, Maine), Johnson State's Von Woerkom, Lyndon junior Alex Maynard (East Hampton, Conn.), MCLA senior Kylie Dumas (Pownal, Vt.), and Thomas sophomore Amelia Guimond (Fort Kent, Maine).
2015 NEAC East Division All-Conference Teams
To view a PDF list of the All-Conference team click HERE.
First Team Singles
Lindsey Allen, Junior, Thomas
Meridith Blessard, Freshman, Husson
Emily Deaso, Sophomore, MCLA
Aislinn O'Connor, Freshman, Colby-Sawyer
Ashlyn Ramsay, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
Ashley Woodside, Sophomore, Colby-Sawyer
First Team Doubles
Husson - Meridith Blessard, Freshman / Katie Pratt, Junior
MCLA - Emily Deaso, Sophomore / Mariza Sfakianaki, Sophomore
Colby-Sawyer - Ashlyn Ramsay, Senior / Ashley Woodside, Sophomore
Second Team Singles
Ciara Bannister, Sophomore, Castleton
Jackie Lisak, Freshman, Castleton
Sara Novenstern, Senior, Castleton
Mariza Sfakianaki, Sophomore, MCLA
Meg Susslin, Senior, Castleton
Katherina Von Woerkom, Junior, Johnson State
Second Team Doubles
Castleton - Ciara Bannister, Sophomore / Kirsten Kruk, Freshman
Castleton - Jackie Lisak, Freshman / Sara Novenstern, Senior
Colby-Sawyer - Evelyn Miller, Sophomore / Aislinn O'Connor, Freshman
Player of the Year
Ashlyn Ramsay, Senior, Colby-Sawyer
Rookie of the Year
Aislinn O'Connor, Freshman, Colby-Sawyer
Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year
Sarah Smith, Senior, Husson
Coach of the Year
Barry Schoonmaker, Colby-Sawyer
Sportsmanship Team
Lauren Blanchard, Sophomore, Colby-Sawyer
Kylie Dumas, Senior, MCLA
Amelia Guimond, Sophomore, Thomas
Kirsten Kruk, Freshman, Castleton
Alex Maynard, Junior, Lyndon
Katie Pratt, Junior, Husson
Paige Vlahos, Sophomore, Green Mountain
Katherina Von Woerkom, Junior, Johnson State