West Hartford, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College women's tennis team saw their season come to an end with a 9-0 road loss to in-state rival Saint Joseph (Conn.) in the opening round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament on Wednesday afternoon.

The Bluejays (7-7) defeated the Falcons (5-7) for the second straight match. AMC has now lost two in a row to USJ in the opening round of the conference tournament, after the Bluejays scored an 8-1 victory in the postseason during the 2015 campaign.

In doubles action, the hosts won all three matches to take an early edge. The matches at No. 2 and No. 3 were close. The Albertus Magnus duo of sophomores Alicia Weaver (Bethel, Conn.) and Izzy Sabino (Cheshire, Conn.) lost, 8-5. At No. 3, the Falcons tandem of freshmen Cayce Andrews (Hamden, Conn.) and Dayanlee Quezada-Coello (New Haven, Conn.) put up a fight before falling, 8-4.

In singles play, the Bluejays took five of the six matches in straight sets to advance to the GNAC Semifinals. At No. 1, AMC senior Zaida Velazco (Dominican Republic) battled with Rebecca Mauri. Velazco won the first set, 6-3, and then Mauri answered with a 6-4 win in the second frame to force a tiebreaker. Mauri outlasted Velazco to score the win and help her squad move on.

The contest marked the final collegiate match for Velazco, who was a leader on and off the court for the Falcons. Over her four-year career, she was a mainstay at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for Albertus Magnus.

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