FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 7, 2001

BRUNELLI WINS NJAIAW WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – It was a banner day for the Monmouth University women’s tennis squad at the New Jersey Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women’s (NJAIAW) Championships in Madison, N.J. The Hawks’ Danielle Brunelli captured the championship in the singles ‘A’ flight. The Hawks’ tandem of Jennifer Taylor and Kelly Fangmann also earned the title in the doubles flight.

Brunelli, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, became the first Monmouth player to win the ‘A’ flight at the NJAIAW Championships. She opened the tournament with victories over Tracy Saladino of Montclair, 10-5, and Abby Woodhead of Drew, 10-2. In the semifinals, Brunelli toppled No. 2 seed Sara Agonafer of Princeton, 6-3, 6-2. She defeated Fairleigh Dickinson’s Marissa Pugh, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to win the crown.

Taylor and Fangman opened the tournament with a 10-6 victory over Montclair’s Carolyn Hess and Jennifer Weaver to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the pair defeated Kean’s Nancy Youssef and Sheila Bachri, 10-3. The duo captured the title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Dana Rowles and Stephanie Anderson of Stockton.

Monmouth’s Lauren McCormick finished in second place in the ‘B’ flight and Anneabeth Bailey was runner-up in the ‘C’ flight. McCormick lost to Princeton’s Nancy Zenoda, 6-0, 6-0, in the flight ‘B’ finals. She advanced to the championship match with wins over Princeton’s Sarah Adler (10-4), FDU-Madison’s Megan Keenan (10-3) and Montclair’s Jen Sirico (6-1, 6-1). Bailey rattled off victories over FDU-Madison’s Alison Keenan, 10-3, and Drew’s Natalya Katsup, 10-3, in the opening rounds. In the semifinals she bested Princeton’s Christie Feng, 6-2, 6-2. Bailey lost to Princeton’s Adrienne Ellis in the flight ‘C’ championship, 6-3, 6-0.

The Hawks were the only team out of the 11 participating (Caldwell, Drew, FDU-Madison, Fairleigh Dickinson, Georgian Court, Kean, Monmouth, Montclair, Princeton, Stockton, Rutgers-Newark) to have a finalist in all three singles flights and the doubles flight.

Sophomore Gina Fay was a semifinalist in flight ‘B’ and freshman Kelly Phoebus was a semifinalist in flight ‘C’.