Williamstown, MA --- Worcester State's top doubles team of senior Danielle Candelieri (Chelmsford, MA) and freshman Natalie Paul (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy) has been selected to compete in this weekend's USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Tournament which will be held at Williams.

The doubles winners of the New England regional round of five move on to the USTA/ITA Small College singles and doubles championships, featuring Division II, III, NAIA and Junior College student-athletes from around the United States, on October 9-12 which will be held at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina.

The USTA/ITA New England regional features some of the best competition in Division III with several may compete individually at the end of the spring semester at the NCAA Division III Singles and Doubles Championships. The tournament continues through Saturday with the finals on Sunday.

Paul and Candelieri are paired to face off against junior Morgaux Holloschutz (Franklin Caves, NY) and freshman Ishita Tibrewal (Kolkata, India) of Mount Holyoke at 1:30 PM on Friday, September 26.

The winner moves on the second round to take on the victor of the matchup between top-seeded Elysa Kohrs (Half Moon Bay, CA) and junior Victoria Tam (Rolling Hills Estates, CA) of MIT who take on sophomore teammates Conner Calacro (Sherman Oaks, CA) and Chelsea Hayashi (San Ansemo, CA) of Tufts.

The loser MIT/Tufts doubles team will take on the doubles squad from Worcester State or Mount Holyoke in the consolation bracket at approximately 3 PM.

Thus far on the season, Candelieri and Paul have posted a 3-3 record at first doubles with victories over Becker, MCLA and Southern Maine. The matchup against Holloschutz and Tibrewal figures to be a solid one as the pair enter with a 4-3 slate and wins against UMass Boston, St. Joseph's (CT), Emerson and Smith.

The only other Little East squad selected to the entire New England Regional ITA competition is first-year teammates Kristy Garcia (Florence, Italy) and Martina Daelli (Miami, FL), who defeated Candelieri and Paul, 8-5, on September 13.

Paul and Candelieri are the first Lancers to compete in a fall in-season tennis event since Mary Dorman was slotted to compete at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITT) during the 2002 season.

2014 ITA Division III New England Regional Doubles Bracket

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