WILMINGTON, Del. – Looking to claim its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference title, the second-seeded Lightning will face third-seeded Chestnut Hill College in the second semifinal of the 2012 CACC Women's Tennis Championship on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. at the Chestnut Hill College Tennis Courts.
In the first semifinal, three-time defending CACC champion and top-seeded Concordia College will play against fourth-seeded Holy Family University at 10 a.m.
The two semifinal winners will meet on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. with the winner receiving the CACC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championship. In the event of inclement weather, matches will be moved to the Magarity Tennis Club at 825 Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown, Pa.
Currently 11-2 on the season, the Lightning earned the number two seed after posting a 7-1 CACC mark. The Lightning, who reached the 10-win mark for the fourth time in the program's history, suffered its lone conference loss against Concordia on Sept. 30 at the DelCastle Tennis Courts. In addition, the Lightning tallied five of their school-record eight shutout victories against CACC foes.
Sophomore
Stephanie Puentes Robinson (Bogota, Colombia) will lead the Lightning into Saturday's semifinal against the Griffins. The reigning CACC Player and Rookie of the Year, Puentes Robinson has posted a 14-2 singles record and an 11-4 doubles mark. She also posted a 7-0 record against CACC opponents in singles play this year, including a 6-1, 7-5 victory over
Alla Kravchuk of Concordia on Sept. 30.
Meanwhile, senior captain
Blanca Sancho (Zaragoza, Spain) has also played a major role in the Lightning's success this year, posting an 11-4 record in singles play along with a 10-2 doubles mark. She has boasted an 8-3 record at number three singles while teaming with Puentes Robinson to earn a perfect 6-0 mark at number one doubles.
Chestnut Hill enters Saturday's semifinal match with a 10-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CACC play. The Griffins had a four-match win streak snapped on Wednesday afternoon with a 7-2 loss against New York Institute of Technology at the CHC Tennis Courts.
Senior
Maria Parapouras (Victoria, Australia) has been the Griffins' top player this season, posting an 11-1 record at number three singles. In addition, she has a 9-3 record in doubles play. A second team All-CACC selection last year, she has a school-record 51 career singles wins.
The Lightning posted an 8-1 victory over the Griffins in the regular season meeting at the DelCastle Tennis Center. Parapouras earned the Griffins' lone win with a victory at number three singles over Sancho.
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