BRISTOL, R.I. – After slipping past Nichols College, the third-seeded Roger Williams University Women's Tennis program advances to the Commonwealth Coast Conference Finals for the first time since 2015 seeking their fourth championship in program history. There they will encounter the top-seeded Gulls of Endicott College in a rematch of that 2015 showdown.
 
"Our team battled in a tough match with Nichols," Head Coach Barry Gorman said. "We played very smart tennis which helped us get the win."
 
Roger Williams finished the regular season with an 11-1 record including 6-1 against CCC foes, and after wins in each of the first two matches of the CCC tournament, they now stand at 13-1 on the campaign including 8-1 against in-conference opponents. Endicott stands at 8-4 on the year and also went 6-1 in CCC play and earned the top seed by way of a three-way coin flip.
 
For The Hawks
Roger Williams boasts a strong team from top to bottom and is was that depth that got them to the finals thanks to winning efforts in the fifth and sixth flights of singles play. Their entire lineup earned a spot on an All-CCC team, and they have outscored their opponents 109-14 overall. In doubles play they have excelled to a record of 38-4 to grab early leads before showing a great ability to finish the opposition as they have gone 70-10 in singles play.
 
"We have been playing strong in our doubles which has given us a great start in our matches," Gorman said. "In addition, singles play has been equally as strong for us which has been great for our team."
 
The success for the team begins at the top as their top three players, Emma Place (Francestown, N.H.), Alessia Cahoon (Dedham, Mass.), Giana Ferraro (Westerly, R.I.), were all named to the All-CCC First Team for singles. Place and Cahoon have teamed up to be a fearsome duo in the top doubles flight for RWU going 12-1 together, outscoring their opposition 102-37 along the way and earning all-conference first team honors in doubles along the way. Individually, Place has gone 8-5 in the top flight for singles while Cahoon has been even better in singles #2 going 12-2.
 
What truly sets the Hawks apart is their depth as they have gone 49-3 in the third through sixth flights in singles and 24-3 in the second and third flights of doubles play this fall. Ferraro leads this group in singles as she remains undefeated in her 12 matches this year, mainly at singles #3. In doubles, she has paired up with Olivia Santoro (Cheshire, Conn.), herself an All-CCC Third team selection in singles, to go 12-1, outscoring the opposition 99- 31 in doubles #2 this year. Santoro has spent much of the season playing singles #6 for RWU and she is 12-1 including a huge comeback win to send the Hawks to the championship on Thursday.
 
Roger Williams wraps up their singles lineup with Alexa DeCesare (Norwood, Mass.) and Gracie McCarthy (Marion, Mass.). DeCesare has been the Hawks top option at singles #4 where she earned all-conference third team honors and sits at 10-2 on the season. McCarthy was named to the All-CCC second team this fall and remains unblemished in 14 matches playing primarily in the fifth flight of singles for RWU. She has teamed up with Kate Hardy (Southington, Conn.) to go 10-1 in doubles #3.
 
For The Gulls
Endicott College rolls into their tenth consecutive CCC Championship match after sweeping Gordon on Thursday, 5-0.  They feature a strong group of players including five who received All-CCC recognition this fall. They, like Roger Williams, have excelled in doubles play going 17-4 in conference play while they are 24-17 in singles.  
 
"We are expecting another tough match tomorrow with Endicott," Gorman said. "We know what is on the line and our team wants it! Doubles will be another crucial area for us to come out strong and then ride that momentum into singles."
 
The top player for Endicott is Justine Hoover (Wallingford, Conn.) who was an All-CCC Second Team selection and is a potential x-factor after being inactive for the first match between the two teams. She stands at 3-3 in singles #1 overall, including 3-1 in conference play. In doubles play, Hoover has paired with Fernanda Trevino (Dallas, Texas) in the second flight to go 4-0 this fall. The Gulls may also go with the All-CCC Second Team duo of Hoover and Shelby Henry (Lincoln, Neb.) who have only played two matches together but at 2-0. Henry, who is 3-7, will likely slot in the fourth flight in singles for Endicott.
 
The most common pairing in the top flight of doubles for the Gulls this season has been Lejla Guster (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Ripley Uyeda (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.). The pair is 4-3 on the season including 2-1 in CCC play as they were named to the all-conference first team. Guster, was an All-CCC First Team selection and will likely play singles #2 after going 3-2 this fall but is 3-0 against CCC opponents. Uyeda was an all-conference third team selection and went 2-4 overall. She is 2-1 when she has played at the third flight of singles for the Gulls.
 
Endicott will likely round out their singles lineup with Olivia Berler (Marstons Mills, Mass.) and Kaitlin Fitzgibbons (Nashua, N.H.). Berler was an All-CCC Third Team selection after going 6-4, 3-0 in conference, at singles #5. Fitzgibbons has slotted in at ever spot between the second and sixth flights for the Gulls this fall and is 6-6 overall but she will likely play singles #6 for Endicott where she has gone 2-1.
 
The Gulls have been unpredictable in the third flight of doubles, starting seven different pairs in the seven CCC matches this season. The most common duo was Ashley Keaveney (Exeter, N.H.) and Shelby Henry.
 
Previous Meetings
The Hawks battled a shorthanded Gulls squad back on September 18 in Beverly, Massachusetts and RWU came away with a convincing 9-0 win. With that being said, it is likely that Roger Williams will play a nearly completely different Endicott squad this time around, however.
 
How To Follow Along
Opening serve for the CCC Championship will be at 1:00 PM at the South Campus Courts on the campus of Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.