Jones named Girls Tennis Rookie of Year in CSAC

Gwynedd-Mercy College freshman Chelsea Jones helped the Griffins go undefeated in the Colonial States Athletic Conference and secure their second straight girls tennis championship this fall.

Overall, the Griffins went 17-2 and Chelsea's stellar play was a big part of the reason.

Jones, a 2009 Tamaqua Area High School graduate, blew away the competition in the conference and did not lose a single match (14-0) in the conference. She cruised to a 24-4 record overall in both doubles and singles. For her spectacular season, Jones also won the prestigious Rookie of the Year award for the conference as well.

Head Coach Jim Holt heavily recruited Jones out of high school because he knew that she could be an asset to the team. Jones had won the Times News Girls Tennis Player of the Year Award her senior season and once Holt caught wind of the superstar, he knew she would help the strong Griffins squad.

"I think she was nervous at the start of the season, but her confidence grew as the season progressed," said Holt. "She really improved and took her game up a notch. I was so incredibly proud when she won the Rookie of the Year award, since there were some very strong candidates".

Jones will be counted on heavily again in the spring when the team again goes to the NCAA tournament, where the elite teams in the country play.