by Jim Mullins
Assistant Director
Sports Information

Corsairs have plenty of experience
for Little East Conference title defense

Coach Warren Preti has six starters returning from a Corsairs' women's tennis team that posted a school record for victories in an 11-3 season and captured its first Little East Conference championship.

The only problem for the Corsairs is that with their top two players lost to graduation, it means everyone will have to move up two slots on the ladder and face stiffer competition this season. But with a couple of LEC champions returning to the lineup, UMass Dartmouth appears ready for the 1997 season.

"Last year we had a record-setting year plus our first conference title," said Preti, who is heading into his ninth season at UMass Dartmouth. "We are definitely aiming to repeat as conference champions, but with everyone moving up two positions, our work will be more difficult."

The Corsairs will be led by co-captains and four-year players Ashley Kennedy (Holliston, MA) and Olivia Cunha (New Bedford, MA). Kennedy was part of the Corsairs' #3 doubles team that captured the LEC title last year. Cunha was the #6 singles title holder at the LEC Championships, while also posting a perfect 4-0 mark in limited action at #2 doubles. Preti expected Cunha and Kennedy to play at either #4, #5 or #6 singles this season.

Moving up to the top of UMass Dartmouth's starting lineup this season will be Kasha Gula (Mansfield, MA), who played #3 singles and teamed with Kelly Berger (Buzzards Bay, MA) to win the LEC Championship at #2 doubles. Gula was 5-5 in singles and 6-2 in doubles last year. Berger will move up from her #4 singles spot where she posted an 11-1 record for most victories on the team to go along with a 9-2 doubles mark.

At #5 singles one year ago, Shannon Kelleher (Saugus, MA) was 8-3 and 5-2 in doubles and teammate Mary Bourque (Rochester, MA) was 9-3 in singles at #6 singles and 6-2 in doubles action. Bourque captured both the #4 Little East Conference championship and she teamed with Ashley Kennedy to take the LEC's #3 doubles title.

Preti said he has several doubles pairings in mind for this season, including Berger-Borque, Gula-Kelleher and Kennedy-Cunha, who posted a 4-2 record together last season. Among some of the other players Preti predicted could see doubles action were Megan Harvey (Boxford, MA), Jaime Berger (New Bedford, MA) and Christine Mace (Abington, MA).

Preti and assistant Coach Pat Riccardi will also be taking a look at a couple of newcomers to the program, who might get a chance at breaking into the starting rotation. Preti said Cari Leslie (Glen Cove, NY) and Christina Benelzewicz (Lowell, MA) have both looked solid during preseason practice.

The Corsairs open their 1997 season on September 11 by hosting Babson College at the Tripp Athletic Center. UMass Dartmouth will try to successfully defend its first conference championship on October 18 and 19 when the Corsairs compete in the annual Little East Conference championships. Last year, UMass Dartmouth took four of the six singles crowns and swept all three doubles events to take its first conference crown.