Women’s Tennis Placed Third in the First NCAA East Region Rankings

Women's Tennis | 4/17/2019 12:00:00 AM

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The first NCAA East Region Women's Tennis rankings are out and Goldey-Beacom was listed third, bolstering its chances of earning an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

It is a major boost for the Lightning as they were ranked the highest among any school from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. This poll in its final version is the main criteria used to select teams into the NCAA Tournament.

The top six teams in the East Region advance to the NCAA Tournament and the draw will be announced May 7. The first and second rounds take place May 13-14.

Goldey-Beacom (14-4, 7-1 CACC) this season captured at least a share of the league's regular-season crown for a third straight year and made its 11th straight appearance in the conference semifinals. The Lightning, who have played in the NCAA Tournament seven times, also have won 24 of their last 25 regular-season league matches.

A major reason for Goldey-Beacom's high ranking occurred April 2 when the squad recorded a huge 5-2 upset of New York Tech, then No. 35 in the nation and tops in the region. GBC also topped Wilmington (ranked fifth in the East) and the District of Columbia (ranked seventh in the East) in the regular season.

GBC is 6-2 in the spring with just one loss coming to Division II opposition.

Sophomores Lotte Lesscher y Post (Arnhem, Netherlands) and Catarina Zheng (Oporto, Portugal) have played a huge role in Goldey-Beacom's success the last two seasons. Presently, they are the seventh-ranked doubles tandem in the country and are 19-4 on the season. The two advanced to the ITA East Region doubles final and, against New York Tech this month, notched a 6-3 upset over the 30th-ranked tandem in the nation.

Their 35 career doubles victories are the seventh-best total in school history.

Lesscher y Post made incredible noise during the fall in being picked the CACC Player of the Year, one year after she was tabbed second team and the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She is 14-5 in singles this season that includes 13-4 in dual play at first singles.

Zheng also has been a dynamo, getting picked first team all-league for a second straight year after making the 2017 CACC All-Tournament Team. She has amassed a 16-4 singles mark, which includes 15-3 at second singles.

Andrea Fresneda (Valencia, Spain) owns a 15-4 record in singles, including 11-3 at sixth singles. Fellow freshman Kristin Radeke (Bremen, Germany) has the third-most doubles triumphs for the squad, owning an 11-4 that includes 10-3 at third doubles.

NCAA Division II Women's Tennis East Region Rankings (as of April 17, 2019)
1. Queens (NY)
2. Stonehill
3. Goldey-Beacom
4. New York Tech
5. Wilmington (DE)
6. Concordia (NY)
7. District of Columbia
8. Merrimack

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Players Mentioned

Lotte Lesscher y Post: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Catarina Zheng: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Andrea Fresneda: 5' 3"; Freshman

Kristin Radeke: 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Lotte Lesscher y Post
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Catarina Zheng
: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Andrea Fresneda
: 5' 3"; Freshman

Kristin Radeke
: 5' 4"; Freshman