5 Mount St. Mary's (12-7) vs. #4 Sacred Heart (10-7)
Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals
Friday, April 15, 2010, Not before 11:30 a.m.
Mercer County Tennis Center, West Windsor, N.J.

Mount Update: Mount St. Mary's has won its last four matches to improve to 12-7 on the season.  The Mount won a pair of matches this past weekend, sweeping Morgan State (7-0) and Monmouth (7-0). 

About the Pioneers:  Sacred Heart has lost four matches in a row to fall to 10-7 on the season.  The Pioneers lost to New Jersey Tech, 7-0, on Sunday.  Kate Donnelly plays at No. 1 singles and is 12-15 on the year in singles matches.  Gabi Kaldan, who plays at No. 3 singles, is a team-best 18-9 in singles competition.  

The All-Time Series with Sacred Heart:  Sacred Heart holds a 5-4 lead in the all-time series with the Mount with all nine matches being played at a neutral site.  Earlier this year, the Pioneers posted a 6-1 victory over the Mount in Florida.  This will be the fourth-consecutive season the two teams have met in the NEC Quarterfinals.  The Mount earned a 4-0 win in 2008 while Sacred Heart won in 2009 (4-0) and 2010 (4-1).  Sacred Heart has won the past three matchups between the two schools.

This Year's Meeting:  Sacred Heart defeated the Mount, 6-1, on March 7, in Orlando, Fla.  The Pioneers swept the doubles matches to earn the doubles point.  In singles play, the Mount's Renee Deane won at No. 6 singles, but Sacred Heart won the first five matches in straight sets to secure the victory.

NEWS AND NOTES...

Mount St. Mary's and the Northeast Conference Tournament:  The Northeast Conference moved to a team-flighted tournament in 1998-99.  Since then, the Mount has posted a 7-12 record in the championship rounds and a 5-0 record in the consolation matches.  Last year, the Mount lost to Sacred Heart, 4-1, in the Quarterfinals before earning a 4-0 win over Robert Morris in the consolation round. 

Planting a Seed:  The Mount is the No. 5 seed in this year's Northeast Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season.  Since seeds were announced in the 2001 NEC Tournament, the Mount has been the No. 3 seed once (2007), the No. 4 seed four times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008), the No. 5 seed three times (2009, 2010, 2011), the No. 8 seed once (2000), the No. 9 seed once (2001) and the No. 11 seed once (2002). 

Mount Holds Record for Most NEC Women's Tennis Titles:  The Mount was a powerhouse in the Northeast Conference in the early 1990's, winning seven straight conference titles.  The NEC Tournament was an individual flighted event with individuals compiling points towards the team title then.  The Mount's record streak began in 1989 and ended in 1995.  The seven NEC women's tennis titles are the most by any school in the conference.

Bolchoz Among Career Leaders:  Senior Emily Bolchoz is 71-34 in her career in singles matches at Mount St. Mary's.  The 71 career wins are tied for third on the Mount's all-time list with Maisha Challenger (71-27, 1992-96), on behind former teammate Chelsea Johnson (72-35, 2006-10) for second place.  Bolchoz holds a 60-26 career record in dual matches, good for second place on the Mount's all-time list behind Johnson (64-27, 2006-10).  Bolchoz is also second all-time at the Mount with 57 individual doubles wins, just one behind Jennifer Sheehe (58-42, 1991-95).

Bolchoz and Deane Among Top Doubles Teams in Mount History:  The doubles pair of Emily Bolchoz and Renee Deane is 26-18 at the Mount, good for second on the school's all-time win list by a doubles team.  Michelle Perry and Valeria Topol (1991-95) hold the school record with a 34-15 mark as a doubles pair.

Haley Shines:  Senior Emma Haley is 14-8 this season in singles competition, including 13-6 in dual matches.  Haley owns a career record of 45-35 in singles matches at the Mount and is 52-41 in doubles play.  Her 52 individual doubles wins are fourth on the Mount's all-time list.

Conroy Excels at No. 3 Singles:  Sophomore Kelly Conroy is a team-best 15-8 in singles matches this year, improving her career record to 32-14.  Conroy has played at No. 3 singles in each of her first two seasons at the Mount, posting a 27-10 record in dual matches at that spot in the lineup.

Head Coach Phil Hammond:  Head coach Phil Hammond is in his seventh season at the helm of the Mount's men's and women's tennis program.  Hammond has guided the Mount to the NEC semifinals in four of the past six seasons.  He led the team to a school-record 19 wins in 2007-08 and the Mount has posted a .500 or better record in each season under his direction.  Hammond has a career record of 96-62 in dual matches at the Mount.