Sept. 13, 2004

Fairfield, Conn. - The Providence College women's tennis team opened their season at the Fairfield Doubles Festival on Sept. 11, among a field of seven opponents. Competitors included teams from Albany, Fairfield, Holy Cross, Rhode Island, Sacred Heart, and Stony Brook.

For the Friars, Flight One pairs included seniors Molly Gilbride (Topsham, Maine) and Nicole Rodger (Lowell, Mass.) as well as sophomore Jennifer Daigle (East Greenbush, N.Y.) and junior Sara Bitetti (Norwell, Mass.). After recording wins over Holy Cross (8-2) and Fairfield (8-6), Daigle and Bitetti advanced to the finals, where they fell (2-8) to opponents from Stony Brook. Gilbride and Rodger also posted two victories (an 8-0 shutout of Rhode Island, and an 8-2 win over Albany), but fell to Stony Brook (2-8) in the semifinals.

Representing the Friars in Flight Two were sophomore Andrea Lee (Cumberland, R.I.) and freshman Katherine Lyons (Barrington, R.I.). This pair defeated Holy Cross (8-6), Rhode Island (8-5), Fairfield (8-6), and Sacred Heart (8-6) to enter the finals undefeated. Lee and Lyons dropped this match to Holy Cross (4-8).

In Flight Three, where teams can be changed, the combined efforts of junior Marissa Bigelli (Lincoln, R.I.), sophomore Therese Griffin (Louisville, Ky.) and freshman Courtney Fischer (New Haven, Conn.) led the Friars into the semifinals, with two wins (an 8-3 victory over Albany and an 8-6 defeat of Fairfield) and one loss (Sacred Heart, 4-8). In the semifinals, Bigelli and Griffin were outplayed by Holy Cross (0-8).

Providence returns to action next weekend at the Army Invitational in West Point, N.Y.