SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Katie DeRienzo defeated the reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Year, and was part of one of the two doubles teams to help Sacred Heart secure the doubles point, but it was not enough in a 5-2 loss at defending champion Bryant on Saturday afternoon. The defeat snapped SHU's four-match winning streak and drops the Pioneers to 9-8 overall. 

In a crucial NEC showdown, Sacred Heart jumped out on top thanks to key victories from their first and second doubles teams. DeRienzo was part of the first flight duo, teaming with Taylor Gurda for the pair's fourth consecutive win together, improving them to 10-2 overall and 9-1 at the first spot. Not to be outdone were Lindsey Post and Paige Olson, who also extended their winning streak to four to improve to 6-2 at the second position. Olivia Podsiebierski and Claudia Ruiz were on the opposite end of the spectrum, having their four-match winning streak halted after being edged 4-6 at third doubles.

DeRienzo was the lone Pioneer to take her singles match. In a matchup of two of the top players in the conference, the match lived up to the potential as the two players battled to a first set tiebreak, which DeRienzo took 7-3. The senior then carried that momentum into second where she would prevail by a score of 6-4 for her fifth straight victory, her team and league-leading 16^th of the season. She moved to 14-2 in dual play, all at the first position, and a perfect 3-0 in the NEC.

The only other Pioneer to take a set was Olson, who cruised to a 6-1 decision in the opener of her second singles match. After coming up short, 4-6, in the second, she would fall in a super tiebreaker 7-10.

With losses, Post, Gurda, Podsiebierski and Ruiz all had multiple match winning streaks snapped.

Sacred Heart will look to rebound right away tomorrow at FDU in its final match of both the conference and regular season before beginning play in the 2016 NEC Championships hosted at the Mercer Country Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J. on Friday. 

Singles

Doubles