District of Columbia Women's Tennis Picked as Preseason Runner-Up; Nunez Preseason Player of the Year
*Courtesy of ECC Media Relations
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - The Queens College women's tennis team has been selected by the conference's coaches in the 2012 preseason poll to capture their third East Coast Conference championship in four seasons. University of the District of Columbia junior Jessica Nunez (Guayaquil, Ecuador) has been named the Preseason Player of the Year.
The Knights earned seven out of eight first place votes for a total of 62 points to take the top spot on the poll. Queens comes off a 2011 campaign where they finished the season ranked 26th nationally in the Campbell's/ITA poll after posting an 18-2 record. Despite the lofty ranking, the Knights failed to win an ECC title for the first time since 2008. However, Queens went on to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Round of 16.
Defending ECC Champion, University of the District of Columbia, earned the lone remaining first place vote to finish with 56 points and grab the second spot in the poll. NYIT, coming off a 9-6 season in 2011-12, rounds out the top three.
Nunez, a two-time All-Conference First Team member, takes home the Preseason Player of the Year honor. In 2011-12, Nunez posted a 14-6 record, including a perfect 6-0 run in ECC play at the No. 1 singles spot, to help lead the Firebirds to their first ever ECC title.
2012 ECC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
School Pts. 2011-12 Record
1. Queens (7) 62 18-2
2. District of Columbia (1) 56 17-4
3. NYIT 48 9-6
4. Dowling 33 4-9
5. Molloy 29 2-13
6. Roberts Wesleyan 26 9-11
7. St. Thomas Aquinas 19 4-11
8. LIU Post 15 1-8
( ) – first place votes
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About the ECC
Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: University of Bridgeport (Conn.); Daemen College (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); Dowling College (Oakdale, N.Y.); LIU Post (Brookville, N.Y.); Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy College (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan College (Rochester, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). Associate Members include: Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Dominican College (Orangeburg, N.Y.).
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; men's and women's lacrosse; softball; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's soccer; and women's volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.