WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – Senior Dana Ferrari (Saddle Brook, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy) and Brooke Verdiglione (Englishtown, N.J./St. John Vianney)  each captured singles-set wins, but the ninth-seeded Monmouth University women's tennis team fell to eighth-seeded Robert Morris, 4-0, Thursday afternoon in the 2013 Northeast Conference Championships.

In a highly contested doubles matchup, the No. 2 team of Ashley Sandler (Jericho, N.Y./Syosset) and Ferrari fell late to Samantha Alves and Clarissa Chen, 8-4, while Verdiglione and Nicole Lippens (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) rallied from down 6-3 to come within one point of knotting the score at 7-7 when the match was halted when the Colonials clinched the point.

Verdiglione earned a 6-3 victory in the opening set of her number No. 2 singles matchup against Sophie-Marie Heine, while Ferrari edged Clarissa Alves at No. 4 in the first set 6-4, but RMU captured victories at No. 1, 5, and 6 singles to secure the victory and advanced to take on top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson.  Sandler, who was named Northeast Conference Player of the Week for her perfect 4-0 mark last week, played a competitive match at No. 3 singles, but fell 6-4 in the first set of a halted match.

Monmouth will return four of its six starters to the 2013-14 squad.

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Match Results
Monmouth vs Robert Morris
04/18/13 at West Windsor, NJ

Robert Morris 4, Monmouth 0

Singles competition
1. TEIXEIRA, Carolina (RMU) def. LIPPENS, Nicole (MU-W) 6-2, 6-0
2. HEINE, Marie-Sophie (RMU) vs. VERDIGLIONE, Brooke (MU-W) 3-6, 1-0, unfinished
3. ALVES, Samantha (RMU) vs. SANDLER, Ashley (MU-W) 6-4, unfinished
4. CHEN, Clarissa (RMU) vs. FERRARI, Dana (MU-W) 4-6, 1-0, unfinished
5. ZINBI, Dounia (RMU) def. TURNER, Sarah (MU-W) 6-0, 6-1
6. NOVELLA, Isabella (RMU) def. ELLIS, Emily (MU-W) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. HEINE, Marie-Sophie/ZINBI, Dounia (RMU) vs. LIPPENS, Nicole/VERDIGLIONE, Brooke (MU-W) 7-6, unfinished
2. ALVES, Samantha/CHEN, Clarissa (RMU) def. SANDLER, Ashley/FERRARI, Dana (MU-W) 8-4
3. TEIXEIRA, Carolina/NOVELLA, Isabella (RMU) def. TURNER, Sarah/D'ARCY, Liz (MU-W) 8-1

Match Notes:
Monmouth 5-13 (3-7 NEC)
Robert Morris 4-17 (1-2 NEC)
2013 NEC Women's Tennis Tournament - Feed-In
#8 Robert Morris vs. #9 Monmouth