NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Goldey-Beacom College women's tennis team, fresh off its best season in the program's short five-year history last year with a 13-5 overall record, was picked second in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference pre-season coaches poll conducted by the league's nine head coaches.

Concordia (N.Y.) College was picked to repeat as champions as they garnered eight first-place votes and 80 total points. GBC was next with 61 points, while Holy Family University was one point behind with 60 points.

Concordia returns eight players from last year's squad, including CACC Rookie of the Year, Ola Roberts. Roberts won a doubles championship at the ITA East Region Tournament last season, and placed fifth at ITA Nationals.

The team lost the 2009 CACC Player of the Year, Cristina Oliveira, but welcomes back second team All-Conference selections Adeline Brennan and Yuliya Plevako.

The young Concordia squad gained valuable NCAA Tournament experience last season as the Clippers advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division II Championships. Concordia earned victories against Holy Family and Stonehill College in the East Region Tournament to earn a spot in the “Sweet 16.”

Goldey-Beacom and head coach Joe Kissel were selected second in the poll. The two-time reigning CACC Coach of the Year guided the Lightning to their best season in the program's short five-year history last year with a 13-5 overall record and a 7-1 mark in CACC play. The Lightning fell to Concordia, 5-3, in the 2009 CACC Tournament championship match.

The Lightning earned a spot in the 2009-10 NCAA East Region Tournament last Spring, falling to the host, Stonehill in the opening round.

Three GBC players garnered conference honors last season in second team pick Marina Sales and honorable mention selections Blanca Sancho and Vanessa leon Velasquez. All three return in 2010.

Kissel has also brought in three very talented recruits in Gabriela Chaves (Joao Pessoa – PB, Brazil/Colegio Motiva), Laura Cure Peters (Maracaibo, Venezuela/School Mater Salvatoris) and Marie-Louise Klein (Espergaerde, Denmark/Tibberupskolen & Espergaerde Gymnasium).

Holy Family was picked third in the poll, just one point behind GBC. The Tigers welcome back a pair of All-Conference players in first team selection Juliana Victoria-Caldas and second team honoree Jin Querubin. The Tigers went 6-2 in conference play last year and finished 13-8 overall. The team earned a berth in the NCAA East Region Tournament in 2009, but fell to Concordia in the opening round.

The 2010 season gets underway on Sept. 1 and 2, with Goldey-Beacom opening its 2010 campaign against Neumann and Molloy. The CACC Tournament will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 23, with the championship match set to be played at Chestnut Hill College. 

2010 CACC Women's Tennis

Preseason Coaches' Poll

                              School                               2009 Records       Points

                              1.   Concordia (8)                17-2/8-0 CACC          80

                              2.   Goldey-Beacom            13-5/7-1                    61

                              3.   Holy Family                   13-8/6-2                    60

                              4.   Philadelphia (1)             10-9/5-3                    52

                              5.   Chestnut Hill                  3-17/2-6                    45

                              6.   Georgian Court              6-12/3-5                    39

                              7.   USP                              4-10/4-4                    34

                              8.   Post                             1-10/0-8                    18

                              9.   Caldwell                        1-9/1-7                     16                                    

                              ()-First Place Votes