Jaspers Cap Opening Weekend With Win Over Monmouth

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Manhattan College women's tennis team picked up its second win in as many days to open the 2012-13 season on Sunday afternoon.  One day after knocking off Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival Rider, the Jaspers (2-0) returned to New Jersey for a showdown with Monmouth (0-1) at the Monmouth Outdoor Tennis Complex, and Manhattan came away with a 5-2 victory.

Manhattan wrapped up the doubles point with a pair of easy victories.  The Jaspers' No. 1 team of Lili Johnson (Tulsa, Okla.) and Brianna Turano (Nutley, N.J.) notched an 8-2 win over Nicole Lippens and Brooke Verdiglione, while Alyssa Rosello (Garden City, N.Y.) and Catherine Clark (Salem, Conn.) beat Emily Ellis and Liz D'Arcy by the same margin at No. 3 doubles.  The match at No. 2 doubles was much more competitive, but Manhattan again came away victorious, with the team of Caitlin Bricketto (Coral Springs, Fla.) and Stephanie Tsao (Scarsdale, N.Y.) beating Ashley Sandler and Dana Ferrari by a score of 9-7.

At No. 1 singles, Johnson didn't surrender a game, defeating Lippens 6-0, 6-0.  Clark also had a solid showing at No. 6 singles.  She improved to 2-0 on the season with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Ellis.  Manhattan clinched the victory when Rosello notched a 6-0, 6-3 win over Sarah Turner at No. 5 singles.  Turano battled Sandler for more than two hours at No. 3 singles before earning a hard-fought 7-6, 6-4 victory.

Monmouth got on the board when Ferrari beat Tsao 6-4, 6-1 in the No. 4 position.  The match of the day was between Verdiglione and Bricketto, who were on court for more than two and a half hours at No. 2 singles.  After Verdiglione won the first set in a tiebreak, Bricketto rallied to easily take the second set.  However, Verdiglione came back in the third set super tiebreak and secured a 7-6, 1-6, 10-4 triumph.