FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The women's tennis team had several Stags advance after day one of the New England Championships held at Sacred Heart University

Freshman Sharissa Ryan (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) captured her first individual title at home this weekend at Fairfield's Walsh Athletic Center Tennis Courts. Ryan topped classmate Caroline Emhardt (Carmel, Ind.) in the finals of Flight Three singles, 8-2. Emhardt made it to the finals by default over UConn's Alexa Gregory. Ryan defeated Sacred Heart's Darcy Demers 6-2, 6-0 and Bryant's Steph Smyers 7-6(1), 6-2 in the seminfinals. Emhardt defeated Hartford's Ashley Harel 6-0, 6-3 in her opening match. 

In Flight One singles, freshman Monica Yajima (Greenwich, Conn.) took third place by edging Sacred Heart's Kate Donnelly 9-7. Yajima advanced to the semifinals after shutting down Merrimack's Kara Hole 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round, before falling to Providence's Marisela Aviles, 6-1, 6-2, to play in the third round match. Also in Flight One singles was freshman Carolina Koladzyn (New York, N.Y.) who captured her seventh place match with a win over Hartford's Maggie Sabatino by default. Koladzyn lost the opening match to Bryant's Claudia Hidalgo 6-4, 6-1 and then fell to UConn's Jen Learmonth 8-4 in the consolation bracket. 

Senior Kristen Liu (Closter, N.J.) finished seventh place in Flight Two singles as she defeated Merrimack's Courtney Garvey by default. Liu fell to Hartford's Katina Zampas 8-3 in the semifinals of the Flight Two singles consolation bracket and to Bryant's Lucy Bird 6-2, 6-3 in her opening round match.

Sophomore Nikki Jackson (Hackensack, N.J) advanced to the finals in Flight Five singles but was edged by Abbie McKeon from UConn 6-4, 6-4. Jackson defeated Merrimack's Kylie Waddington 6-0, 6-0, in the opening round and then topped Bryant's Couto Cuervo 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinals.

Freshman Victoria Pirrello (Staten Island, N.Y.) captured third place in Flight Six singles by topping Providence's Gerry 8-2. Pirrello fell in the semifinals to UConn's Lucy Nutting 6-2, 6-0 after taking care of Sacred Heart's Lauren Rodrigues 6-0, 6-0 in her opening match.

Senior Alyssa Ruiz (Glendhead, N.Y.) captured Flight Four singles consolation bracket. Ruiz lost a hard fought first round match to Sacred Heart's Kristina Chao 7-5, 2-6, 10-4. Ruiz went on to defeat Providence's Ferry 8-4 in the semifinals and Hartford's Nikki Haynal 8-0 in the finals of the consolation bracket.

Freshman duo of Carolina Koladzyn and Sharissa Ryan captured Flight Two doubles by default. In the semifinals Koladzyn and Ryan topped Providence's Sinha and Ferry 8-5. In the opening round the pair defeated Hartford's Zampas and Cuggin 8-0.

In Flight One doubles, sophomore Nikki Jacksonand freshman Monica Yajima placed third after edging Providence's Aviles and Bernardez, 8-6. Jackson and Yajima defeated Merrimack's Hole and Fitzgerald 8-1 in their opening round match but were topped in a close semifinal match against UConn's Learmonth and Herb 9-8(4). 

In Flight Three doubles, rookie pair of Caroline Emhardtand Victoria Pirrello placed third after defeating Providence's Fuller and Gerry. They advanced by blanking Sacred Heart's Legenza and Aptekin 8-0 in their opening match, but fell in the semifinal match to UConn's Nutting and Wilmarth 8-0. Nutting and Wilmarth continued on to capture Flight Three doubles.

Senior duo of Alyssa Ruiz and Kristen Liu were edged in the opening round match by Bryant's Couto-Cuervo and Smyers 9-7. Ruiz and Liu went on to defeat Merrimack's Garvey and Barnes 8-2 in the semifinals of Flight Two doubles consolation bracket. The pair was topped by Sacred Heart's Downing and Chao 8-0 in the finals of the consolation bracket.