Thea Dolan and Jan Linehan Peak at Pioneer Valley B

March 4, 2019
Longmeadow, MA

The 10th annual Pioneer Valley women’s tournament, hosted at the Field Club of Longmeadow, was yet another fun-filled day with 19 tenacious teams and 38 lovely ladies from Connecticut, Maine, Long Island, Rhode Island, and all parts of Massachusetts. This is the final B Ranking tournament prior to the B Nationals on March 13-14 in Summit, NJ. 

The day started out snowy but that didn’t stop most teams from braving the drive. By noon the snow had stopped, and the day was perfectly overcast with comfortable temperatures. The top two seeds battled to the final round where Thea Dolan and Jan Linehan (Cape Cod, MA) took the title, defeating hard-hitters Andrea Portnoy and Kate Schneider (Long Island, NY) at 6-1, 6-1.

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all the women who participated. A great big thank you to Tournament Director, Kate Morneau. A special “Good Doobie” award to Ryan Morneau, who filled in for Cynni Finn after she was injured in the first round. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped to make the day a great one, from the spectators, to the caterer, the masseuse, and the volunteers who helped prep, bake goodies, and clean up before, during, and after the tournament. A shout out to the Longmeadow Country Club for allowing the use of their courts and to Field Club members and friends Dave Applemen, Tom Kietzman, Per Nilsson, Michael Shields, and Brian Grayboff for their help in the early morning clearing of the courts and maintaining the fan base. Finally, a special thanks to Jeff Morneau, who volunteered to manage the draw and the beautiful hut.

RESULTS
Main Draw: Thea Dolan/Jan Linehan def. Andrea Portnoy/Kate Schneider, 6-1, 6-1
Third Place: Nindy Pike/Shana Roberts def. Hilary Meyers/Sara Roundy, 13-11.
Quarter Reprieve: Kate Morneau/Leah Nero def. Linda Brenske/Megan Shapiro-Ross, 6-3, 7-5.
Consolation: Anna Asphar/Erica Curtis def. Trish Griggs/Casey O’Brien, 6-4, 6-2.
Consolation Reprieve: Diana Fiske/Caroline Gold def. Melissa Abbott/Katie Martin, 6-4, 6-4. 
Last Chance: Ryan Morneau (for Cynni Finn)/Kathy Waddington