HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 1, 2009) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's tennis team dropped its season-opener Tuesday, falling to perennial powerhouse The College of New Jersey, 9-0, in Ewing, N.J. The Lions, voted the New Jersey Athletic Conference preseason No. 1, move to 1-0 on the season, in hopes of capturing a 27th straight NJAC title.

Stevens' junior Allyson Kingman lost to senior Jackie Shtemberg (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), 6-1, 6-0 in top-flight singles, while sophomore Nicole Portner fell to Lions' senior Stefanie Haar (Morganville, N.J.), 6-3, 6-0 in No. 2 singles.

Sophomore Mine Bese and junior Kendra Appleheimer lost in third and fourth-flight singles, respectively, falling to their TCNJ counterparts, 6-0, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-3, while freshman Brooke Catanzano dropped her first collegiate match with a 6-2, 6-0 defeat at the hands of TCNJ freshman Karisse Bendijo (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.). Fellow freshman Alexandra Handel rounded out singles play with a 6-2, 6-0 loss in sixth-flight singles.

Shtemberg and sophomore Felice Trinh (Linden, N.J.) downed Kingman and Portner, 8-1, in top-flight doubles action, while senior Tamra Wroblesky (Freehold, N.J.) and Bendijo defeated Catanzano and Ducks' sophomore Morgan Scalzi, 8-0, in No. 2 doubles.

Stevens opens up conference play on September 5 and 6 against Nazareth College and Rochester Institute of Technology. The Ducks' matches against their Empire 8 rivals will take place at the Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J. while renovations are completed at the Stevens Tennis Courts.