Photo by Erik Andrews '09 Senior tri-captain Kristen Raverta completed her collegiate career with an 87-19 singles record.

Raverta Named ITA National Senior Player of the Year, Finishes as Runner-Up at NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Singles Tournament Championship

May 23, 2006

SANTA CRUZ, CA – After being named the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Senior Player of the Year on Friday, Amherst College senior tri-captain Kristen Raverta (W. Springfield, MA) finished as the national runner-up in the NCAA Division III women’s tennis singles tournament championship, hosted by the University of California at Santa Cruz Saturday through Tuesday.

Washington & Lee University junior Emily Applegate (Charleson, SC) captured the national singles championship, defeating Raverta 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday afternoon. A three-time ITA All-America honoree and the 2006 NESCAC Player of the Year, Raverta became the first Lord Jeff to reach the national championship match since Jamie Cohen ’01, who won the national title in 2000, and the second straight Amherst recipient of the ITA National Senior Player of the Year award (Rachel Holt ’05 took home the award last spring). Raverta completes her Amherst career with an 87-19 record in singles play and a 70-21 mark in doubles competition.

Raverta opened up tournament play on Saturday with a 6-0, 6-3 first-round victory over Carthage College junior Amanda Sta. Romana (Racine, WI) and a come-from-behind 2-6, 7-5, 4-3 round-of-16 win over Gustavus Adolphus College senior Tara Houlihan (Sioux Falls, SD). Play was suspended due to inclement weather on Sunday afternoon, but Raverta overcame the delay, advancing to her second straight national semifinal appearance with a dominating 6-2, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Wheaton (Ill.) College first-year Jordan Hook (Wheaton, IL) on Monday. Raverta moved on to the championship match by defeating DePauw University senior Liz Bondi (Park Ridge, IL), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals.

Raverta also teamed with sophomore Alicia Menezes (Staten Island, NY) to make the field in the national doubles tournament, but the pair fell in the opening round to junior Mona Iyer (Charleston, WV) and sophomore Amy Staloch (Midland, MI) of Carnegie Mellon University, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4.

FULL SINGLES BRACKET