Amherst's Holt Named Player of the Year

HADLEY, Mass. – Rachel Holt of Amherst was named Player of the Year at the 2005 NESCAC Women’s Tennis Championships in a vote by the conference coaches. Holt, the 2002 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, was upset in the quarterfinals of the “A” flight singles draw (consisting of first and second singles player) by eventual champion and last season’s Rookie of the Year Amy Roche of Middlebury. Holt did earn all-conference honors for the fourth consecutive year after winning the “A” flight doubles title with fellow senior Tristan Hedrick.

Holt and Hedrick were two of six players from the 2005 NESCAC Champion Amherst squad named to the all-conference first team. Joining the doubles duo were Kristen Raverta and Monica Snyder who claimed the “B” flight doubles crown and the Erin Murphy and Laura Stein who won the “C” flight doubles title. Hedrick, who won the “B” flight singles draw (consisting of third and fourth singles player), and Snyder, the “C” flight singles champion (fifth and sixth singles player), also earned first-team singles honors. Raverta earned first-team honors for the third consecutive season after falling in the “A” flight title match to Middlebury’s Roche.
Roche along with Tufts’ senior Jennifer Lejb and sophomore teammate Stephanie Ruley round out the first team honors.

In other honors voted upon at the Championships, Amanda Berck of Middlebury was named Rookie of the Year, Sara Hughes of Colby was honored as the Senior Sportswoman of the Year, and Connecticut College head coach Paul Hutch earned Coach of the Year accolades.

The NESCAC all-conference team was determined from action at the tournament. Each player who reached the final in any of the three singles flights or won any of the three doubles flights earned first-team All-NESCAC honors. Each player who advanced to the semifinal round in singles or reached the final in doubles received second-team all-conference recognition.