BOSTON, Mass. - The Great Northeast Athletic Conference has announced the 2012 Women's Tennis Championship Bracket featuring six teams including defending champions, the Simmons College Sharks. After going a perfect 8-0 in GNAC play this year, Simmons has earned the #1 seed and a first round bye in this week's tournament play. Also earning a buy is the #2 seed, the Emerson College Lions, who posted a 6-2 record in GNAC action.

The Emmanuel College Saints earned the #3 seed and will host the #6 seed, Anna Maria College in one of the opening round contests this Wednesday at 5:00 PM at the Winsor School Courts in Boston, Mass. The other opening round match features the #4 seed Johnson & Wales Wildcats hosting the #5 seed Suffolk University Rams at 3:00 PM at the Cranston West Courts.

Simmons continued to dominate all season, with seven Sharks going undefeated in conference play singles and the team dropping only four individual matches all season. The Sharks are led by junior Margaret Teague (Manchester, N.H.), freshman Meghan Cokely (Haverhill, Mass.) and senior captain Sabrina Salmela (Beverly, Mass.).

Simmons will host its semifinal match on Saturday, October 20th at 1:00 p.m. versus the winner of #4 Johnson & Wales Wildcats/#5 Suffolk University Rams, with the GNAC Championship taking place on Sunday, October 21st at the site of the highest remaining seed.