WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – After capturing their fourth national title in as many years, four women's tennis players have earned the distinction of All-American for their play in the 2010-2011 season. Junior Kristen Alotta and Sophomore Nancy Worley received recognition for they singles play, while the pairing of Lucy Marchese and Nikki Reich were recognized for their play in doubles. Reich and Alotta are both repeat All-Americans.
Alotta finishes her junior season with a 27-10 record in singles play. In addition to the team title, Alotta was the runner up at the New England Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) tournament and finished in the top four at the NCAA individual Tournament. In her run to the semifinals, Alotta defeated the top two ranked players in the country. She ends the year ranked 8th in Division III by the ITA. Alotta was recognized as an All-American in 2010 for her singles.
Coach Alison Swain commented, "Kristin did a tremendous job of leading our team from the #1 position for the first time in her career." Swain went on to say, "She brought not only skill, but spirit and a deep desire to represent Williams and help her teammates compete their best."
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| Kristin Alotta '12 | Lucy Marchese '11 | Nikki Reich '11 | Nancy Worley '13 |
Worley had a breakout sophomore season as she finished 28-4 in singles matches, going 18-1 in dual matches. Worley was also responsible for the highlight of the Eph's season with her championship clinching third set tiebreak victory against Amherst's Lauren Danzig. She ends the season ranked 18th in Division III by the ITA.
"I can't say enough about Nancy's mental and competitive strengths. She has come through for the team on the biggest of stages. It truly is Nancy's hard work and love of tennis that brought her so much success this past year," noted Swain. "She moved up from the #5 singles position as a freshman to the #2 spot and posted a glittering overall record. I am so happy that the NCAA has chosen to recognize Nancy's accomplishments this year; she truly is so deserving."
Marchese and Reich wrap up their careers as All-Americans in addition to being four-time national champions. The seniors came on strong at the end of the season and finished with a 10-4 record as a doubles pairing. They went 5-0 in the NCAA team tournament and defeated three of the top four ranked teams en route to the team title. Doubles play proved to be a key to the Eph's success, as they did not drop a doubles match in the NCAA tournament. This marks the second time Reich has been recognized as an All-American. In 2009 she was recognized for her doubles play as well.
Swain praised her seniors, commenting, "When I switched the doubles line up before our conference season and paired these two seniors together, they really stepped up to the plate and never looked back." She went on to say, "Their competitive confidence and years of experience shined in the NCAA tournament and helped to lead our team to a record-breaking season. I am so proud of them and for how they were able to finish their tennis careers at Williams."
