PITMAN, NJ --- Perennial NJAC women’s tennis powerhouse TCNJ picked up six of the seven first place votes and are tabbed as the preseason favorite to repeat as NJAC champions in the upcoming season based on polling of the league’s seven head coaches.
Stockton was predicted to finish second and second-year program NJCU third. The Gothic Knights garnered a first place vote and was also voted as this year’s dark horse program to watch. Rutgers-Camden came in at fourth, followed by Ramapo, Kean, and William Paterson.
This season will feature the second-ever NJAC Women’s Tennis Tournament, with the top four finishers in the conference standings qualifying for postseason play. The winner of the tournament will earn the NJAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Tournament.
The Lions, who have never dropped a conference match since the inception of the program in 1982, return five starters from last year’s squad. Reigning Player of the Year Charlotte Roarty headlines the strong group of returnees. Roarty is a two-time all-conference honoree at both singles and doubles. In the fall, she advanced to the third round of the ITA Regional singles tournament. She and Jenny Landells teamed up to advance to the championship match of the ITA Regional doubles tournament. Landells was also an all-conference pick last season in doubles. Also joining them is Alexa Vasile, another experienced player who started off 2021-22 strong by advancing to the ITA Regional doubles quarterfinal. Anusha Rangu also brings a solid racket back after earning all-conference accolades last year. Head Coach Scott Dicheck also welcomes newcomer Aira Abalos out of Bloomfield High School who picked up her first collegiate career win at the ITA Regionals in the fall.
Stockton returns a solid lineup for this season including three all-conference players. Junior Audrey Van Schalkwyk is a two-time all-conference honoree in doubles who owns a 14-4 career doubles record. She went 8-2 in doubles last year. She also owns a 13-6 career singles record after picking up nine victories last season. Fellow junior Elena Nunez is no stranger to high-level conference play, as the 2019 NJAC Rookie of the Year and All-Conference honoree owns a 15-4 career singles record and 12-4 career doubles record. Sophomore Sarb Devi had a great start to her collegiate career last season, earning all-conference honors in both singles and doubles. She went 5-1 at No. 2 singles and teamed up with Van Schalkwyk for a 5-2 doubles record. Classmate Lily Muir also brings back a year of experience after going 6-1 in singles last year as a rookie. Head Coach Harry Silverstein also welcomes local newcomer Sophia Pasquale out of Holy Spirit High School. Pasquale picked up her first three collegiate singles wins in the fall, going a perfect 3-0.
NJCU, though featuring an almost entirely new roster this season, looks to be in contention with solid additions to the lineup. Head Coach Nick Margiasso welcomes transfers Brittany Waugh and Eliza Clamor to the second-year program. Waugh played at the Savannah College of Art & Design, an NAIA program; Clamor comes to Jersey City from Division II West Virginia State. They join returner Giada Zorzan, who quickly made a name for herself last season by going 6-1 in singles and earning NJAC All-Conference honors. Zorzan and Waugh have paired up in doubles, and they advanced to the second round of the ITA Regionals doubles tournament in the fall. Zorzan and Clamor also won a singles match apiece at ITAs.
Rutgers-Camden, also aiming for a spot in the four-team NJAC Tournament, returns a solid and deep lineup. The Scarlet Raptors will be coached by Lloyd Pearson, who has been the Raptor men’s coach and takes over the women’s program as well. Pearson has an experienced group to work with, including 2018 Rookie of the Year and all-conference player Tiffany Trivers. Trivers went 6-2 in singles in the fall portion of the schedule. Hoban won four NJAC singles matches last season along with five NJAC doubles matches. Trivers and Hoban are joined by newcomer Sarah Ahrens, a transfer from Camden County College and originally out of local Triton High School. Ahrens has made an immediate impact, teaming up with Trivers in the fall to go a perfect 8-0 at No. 1 doubles. She also won five times at No. 1 singles.
Ramapo, picked fifth in the preseason poll, returns a solid group of dedicated returners led by Marina Kaiafas and Melanie Brentnall. Kaiafas went 8-4 in singles in her rookie season in 2019-20, the last full season of play. She also went 9-3 in doubles in that time. She picked up a win each in singles and doubles in the fall portion of this year’s schedule. Brentnall owns a 6-2 career singles record and 5-5 career doubles record; she also picked up wins in both singles and doubles in the fall to jumpstart this year. Head Coach Raza Baig also welcomes newcomer Mel Colon-Leon out of Fair Lawn High School. She picked up her first career singles and doubles wins in the Roadrunners’ match against Bard in the fall.
Head Coach Jodi Valenti is excited about her core group of returners for this season. The veteran lineup includes senior Jan Bayanin who was at the No. 1 singles spot last year. Bayanin owns 16 career singles wins and 20 career doubles victories. Jada Mack, a two-time NJAC Player of the Week in her career, owns 27 career singles wins and 25 career doubles wins. She teamed up with Sneha Patil in the fall as they picked up three doubles victories to jumpstart the 2021-22 season. Wilmeris Matias is also back; she won 11 singles and eight doubles matches in her last full season on the court in 2019-20. Samantha Luu is also back; she won five singles and nine doubles matches in 2019-20. Meghan Hochstuhl is off to a solid start this season after picking up two singles wins in the fall. The returners are joined by newcomers Maria Jaramillo and a familiar NJAC name in Kylie Brua who also plays for the Cougars’ women’s volleyball team.
William Paterson will be lead by first-year head coach Hashim Abaza, who is looking to solidify the roster to revive the program. He will rely on returners Jordan Sweet and Emily Murphy to lead the Pioneers into the spring season. Sweet played at the No. 1 spot and Murphy at the No. 2 spot in singles last year. The duo also teamed up at No. 1 doubles last year. Both are also two-sport athletes at William Paterson, competing for the Pioneer swim team.
TCNJ opens the Spring 2022 season this weekend, hosting Division II University of the Sciences on Saturday and playing at Division I Lafayette on Sunday.
The NJAC Women’s Tennis Championship is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 (semifinals) and Saturday, April 30 (championship match).
Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
- TCNJ (6)
- Stockton
- NJCU (1) (dark horse)
- Rutgers-Camden
- Ramapo
- Kean
- William Paterson