PITMAN--The College of New Jersey has been selected as the favorite to win the 2010 New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Championship in a preseason poll of the league’s six head coaches. The 2009 NJAC Champion Lions will be seeking their 28th straight conference crown since the inception of women’s tennis as a league sport in 1982. With a perfect 5-0 conference record in 2009, TCNJ extended its NJAC winning-streak to 131 consecutive league matches - a streak that spans the entire history of conference play.

The Lions received all six of the first-place votes cast by the league coaches. Under the direction of 2009 NJAC Coach of the Year Scott Dicheck, TCNJ has posted a record of 49-0 in NJAC conference play. Now in his 11th season at the helm of the Lions program, Dicheck has guided TCNJ to an overall record of 130-39 during his tenure.

TCNJ will return a trio of all-conference players from a 2009 squad which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, including junior Felice Trinh, sophomore Karisse Bendijo, and sophomore Allison Tierney.

Richard Stockton College, which produced an 11-6 overall record in 2009, was selected to place second and was tapped as the coaches’ dark horse selection. Under the direction of 10th-year head coach Phil Birnbaum, the Ospreys have posted an overall record of 92-30. Stockton placed third in the NJAC in 2009 with a 3-2 conference record. 

Ramapo College, which finished as the 2009 NJAC runner-up with a 4-1 conference record, was selected to place third. The Roadrunners will be led by new first-year head coach Raza Baig. Ramapo returns one all-conference player from a 2009 team that finished 10-6 overall in junior Laura Strandberg.

Rutgers-Newark, which posted a 5-8 overall record in 2009, was selected to place fourth. Led by eighth-year head coach Kevin Morris, the Scarlet Raiders have produced a 49-42 overall record during his tenure.

Kean University, under the leadership of seventh-year head coach Evelyn Alfaro, was tapped to place fifth. The Cougars, who posted an 8-5 overall record in 2009, return the reigning NJAC Rookie of the Year in sophomore Lauren Petrucelli. 

William Paterson University, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Mary Lou Rios, was selected to place sixth. The Pioneers notched a 4-7 overall record in 2009.

The 28th season of NJAC women’s tennis will get underway on Wednesday, September 1 with three league teams in non-conference action. The first NJAC match will also take place on September 1 as TCNJ travels to face Rutgers-Newark. The NJAC does not sponsor a conference tournament in the sport of women’s tennis, meaning that the league championship is awarded to the team with the best record in regular season conference play.