Fairfield Sweeps MAAC Tennis Weekly Awards
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ ? Fairfield senior Chip Palumbo and fellow Stag Gretchen Amberg were named the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Players of the Week.
Palumbo has had a strong start to the 2009 season, with a 3-0 singles record and a 1-2 mark in doubles, to help Fairfield win its first three matches. Palumbo opened the season against Colgate, defeating Sean Spellberg, 6-1, 6-1 at sixth singles. He, and partner Aaron Chan, were edged by Michael Yassky and Jamie Pellechi, 9-8(2), at third doubles. Against St. Joseph’s, he downed Kevin Aquino, 6-1, 6-0, at sixth singles. Most recently, he helped the Stags to a 6-1 win over Hartford on Feb. 7 by posting two wins which also marked his 100th and 101st career victories. Palumbo's 100th win came at third doubles where he and partner Bob Kelly downed Aaron Kooden and Filip Miletic, 8-1. Palumbo’s 101st win came at fourth singles where he topped Matt Seltzer, 6-2, 6-1. Palumbo is the fourth Stag in the last three seasons to reach the milestone. Palumbo has an overall singles record of 4-4 and is 1-2 overall in doubles.
Amberg, a junior, has had an impressive start to 2009 as she is undefeated in both singles and doubles to help the Stags to a 2-1 record. Amberg opened the season with a come-from-behind victory against Colgate, helping Fairfield to its first win of the year. Amberg defeated Cameron Thaney, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, at sixth singles. She and partner Michaela Cerrone also defeated Jackie Stimmel and Stephanie Brown, 9-7, at third doubles. Amberg posted the Stags’ lone point against Albany with a 6-1, 6-4 victory against Melissa Coughlin at sixth singles. Most recently, she shut out Hartford’s Gulay Ozdemir, 6-0, 6-0, at fourth singles in the Fairfield win. Overall, Amberg is 4-3 in singles play and 7-7 in doubles play.
The 2009 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will take place from April 17th through April 19th at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.