Name: Kayla Provost
Year: Senior
Position: Catcher
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hometown: Saco, ME
Major: Business Management in Organizational Change

Why did you come to PMC?

I was originally recruited to play soccer and softball at PMC and Really love the school’s campus.

What do you like most about softball?

There are many things I like about softball. I’m a catcher and I love to be in the dirt blocking softballs, I always want the ball to come to me to make a play. Offensively I love the sound of the bat hitting the ball and the feeling of hitting a homerun, or turning a double play, and throwing someone out at second base.

What has been your most memorable moment at PMC?

My most memorable moment came last season when I hit a walk-off grand slam vs. Suffolk to win the game 5-1.

What do you do outside of sports?

I like to go fishing and snowmobiling. I also spend a lot of time with my family.

Do you plan on playing or coaching after graduating?

I definitely want to keep playing, and I would like to start as an assistant coach for a college softball team. With my experience as an intern for the Pine Manor Athletics, I believe I have the skills and knowledge to become a good coach at the college level.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I see myself living with my husband with a successful career. I hope to be a part of a co-ed slow pitch softball league; even it will be something new to get used to.

Photo: Courtesy Wayne Matthews-Stroud, 2011

Dumeran helped the Gators split their two conference games this week, scoring a game-high 21 points in a loss to Johnson & Wales before scoring 12 points and collecting a game-high 17 rebounds - including the 500th rebound of her career - during Pine Manor's 65-63 win over Simmons. She then recorded a 16 point and 16 rebound double-double, her fourteenth of the season, in the Gators final game of the season, a 72-65 loss to Me. - Fort Kent.

A week later, Dumeran earned her second GNAC All-Conference award as she was selected to the 2011-12 GNAC All-Conference Third Team. Dumeran finished the season as Pine Manor's leading scorer, averaging 15.0 PPG. She also lead the team in rebounding at 11.2 RPG and had a team-high 70 blocked shots and 60 steals.

Name: Phibe Pham
Height: 5-4
Year: Senior
Position: Guard
Hometown: Boston, MA
Major: Education

Why did you come to PMC?

I was initially recruited as a tri-sport athlete in soccer, softball, and of course basketball. The diversity of the student-athletes on campus compelled me to join the Gators' athletic program. It has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Most memorable moment?

Last season my older brother, Man Pham, tragically passed away. The weeks leading up to the event of his demise was excruciating. From religious rituals and funeral arrangements, it was a depressing time. But despite all of this, basketball was there for me, and more importantly, my basketball team and the coaching staff was there for me. They showed me that in times of adversity, it is imperative that every individual has a support system, and the Pine Manor Basketball team was my support system. It meant so much to me that they were there.

What do you do outside of sports?

I like watching different tv series like; Entourage, Criminal Minds, and others. I also work out incessantly. I'm in the gym upwards of five days a week. I also love spending time with my family, my boyfriend, and my two dogs.

Do you plan on playing or coaching after graduating?

Yes, to both. I am the athletic director of a travel basketball club called MASAE Hoops. We travel North America playing in AAU-esque tournaments. Locations vary from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and more. We have a women's team which I play for and a girls youth team which I coach. If the opportunity presents itself for me to coach with schools I would be more than open to try it.

What do you like most about basketball?

Basketball is known as the thinking man's game. Albeit athleticism and talent are great, they are luxuries that not everyone is blessed with. To compete at the maximum potential of each team, there has to be a level of cohesiveness and effort that compensates for any weakness. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" so on any given day any team can win as long as there is confidence, effort, and resilience. The camaraderie of the team I'm on now is at an all time high and these players that start off only sharing the same uniform as you in the beginning end up becoming family to you in the end. Basketball is a beautiful part of my life.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years I hope to have received my masters and teaching in the Boston Public Schools and hopefully coaching and mentoring youth.

Name: Christina Santos
Height: 5-5
Year: Senior
Position: M
Hometown: Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Major: Communications

Why did you come to Pine Manor?

I came to PMC because I fell in love with the campus and I was used to small environments so I knew I would fit perfectly here.

What is your most memorable moment as an athlete at Pine Manor?

Honestly, one of my most memorable moments came this year. Looking at the score board at halftime playing against Albertus Magnus and seeing that the score was 2-1 and they had a full squad plus a deep bench and we didn't even have enough to field a team. I have never been more proud to bleed green than at that moment.

What do you like to do outside of sports?

I like to play some Xbox, go hiking and fishing, pulling pranks and just spending time with my family

Do you plan on playing sports or coaching after you graduate next year?

I think after graduating, I'm going to take a break from playing for a little cause my body needs it, but I am looking into coaching. I could totally see myself being a coach next year.

What do you like the most about soccer?

I love that soccer is a game of mistakes. When you think about it, that's all it is. Someone has the ball, they mess up you get it, they make a mistake and then you get it. But after making your mistake, it comes down to how hard you are willing to work to get it back. It's a constant push to be better than what you were 30 seconds ago. It comes down to how hard you are willing to dig in yourself and push yourself for the betterment of your team. So yeah, I love that mistakes become your motivation factor in soccer. There aren't many other places where you can say that.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I see myself coaching a team of my own and teaching them what Pine Manor Athletics taught me.

Photo: Courtesy Wayne Matthews-Stroud, 2011

Last week, Mendes led the Gators to two victories during the Pine Manor Invitational on Thusday October 6, 2011. Mendes finished in first plaece with an overall time of 22:13.00, helping the Gators to secure an overall team victory in the meet with a low score of 41 points.

Pine Manor also finsihed first in a dual meet versus Mount Ida College on the same day, as the two GNAC opponents were also racing head-to-head as part of the PMC Invitational. Mendes' first place time also helped the Gators to top the Mustangs 26-29.This was the second consecutive dual meet that Mendes finsihed first overall.

The result during the past week was just one of Mendes' fantastic finishes this fall. Mendes started the fall season with a time of 22:59, good enough to be the fourth finisher at the Mount Ida Invitational. She then finsihed with a season best time of 21:29.00, good enough to finish 17th and place 13th overall in the field at the Rivier Invitational. Mendes' time also secured a 22-32 team victory for Pine Manor in a dual meet versus Rivier College.

I came to Pine Manor because it just felt like the right thing to do for me. I was ready to leave home and take an adventure and having the opportunity to continue my volleyball career as an NCAA athlete was the icing on the cake.

What do you like to do outside of sports?

Outside of sports I just like to have a good time with my fiends. I absolutely love the beach and being outside and I have always had a strong passion for musical theatre.

Do you plan on playing sports or coaching after you graduate?

I definitely plan on playing sports after college. I love them way too much to stop playing. Coaching volleyball has always been something I thought about doing after college so I guess I will see where the future takes me.

What is your most memorable moment as an athlete at Pine Manor?

My most memorable moment as a Pine Manor athlete would actually be the last volleyball game I played in. Our new and very young team powered back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 to keep our record at 4-0. This is the best start to a season I have ever had playing volleyball here and it really made me proud to know that I helped build this program from when I came in as a freshman to what it is today. Everything I have put into the volleyball program here has been worth while and I am so proud to be a Gator athlete.

What do you like the most about volleyball?

The thing I love most about volleyball is simply playing the game. Although if I had to choose I guess my favorite thing would be earning a point for my team with a strong block or kill, it just gets me so pumped up.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years I see myself working at a television station trying to build my career as a news reporter or sports broadcaster.

Photo: Courtesy Wayne Matthews-Stroud, 2011

After averaging 10.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game during the final month of the season, Pine Manor junior Paulette Wright has been named Pine Manor’s Student-Athlete of the Month for February.

Wright was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder during the 2009-10 season, but an injury early this year sidelined the junior captain for the first-half of the 2010-11 campaign. Upon returning to the Pine Manor lineup, Wright made an immediate impact. The junior from Baltimore, Maryland gave the Gators a rebounding boost and another offensive option in the paint while earning the praise of her head coach for her play during the month of February.

“She was our best player over the last month of the season,” said Gator Head Coach Alex Gould of Wright. “She stepped back into the lineup and delivered for us just like she did all of last season.”

Following a road loss to Emmanuel College in which Wright totaled 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks and 5 steals, the junior forward posted a double-double in 66-48 Pine Manor win over Lasell College on February 8, 2011. The win was the third conference victory of the season for Pine Manor. In the game Wright scored 12 points while hauling in 11 boards. On the defensive end of the floor, Wright had 2 blocks and 2 steals as the Gators held the Lasers to under 30% shooting.

The next week, Wright managed only 6 points in a road loss at Mount Ida, but she grabbed 11 of the Gators 47 rebounds in the contest while also registering 2 steals. Wright would find her scoring touch in the next game as she, as well as classmate Phibe Pham (Boston, MA/Snowden), scored a team-high 14 points. Wright also grabbed 7 rebounds, and collected 2 steals, and 2 blocks as the Gators lost to St. Joseph’s College of Maine.

In the Gators final game of the season, Wright registered another double-double, scoring 13 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. However, the Gators were unable to defeat St. Joseph College (CT), dropping a 75-52 decision to close out the 2010-11 regular season.

Averaging 15.3 points per game (PPG) and 14.0 rebounds per game (RPG), Dumeran is averaging a double-double through the first nine games of the 2010-11 season and is one of the top rebounders in the nation for NCAA Division III.

"Without her, I don’t think that we would be where we are now," said Gator head coach Alex Gould of Dumeran’s play during the first semester. “She has done a tremendous job on both ends of the floor, not just rebounding, but on defense as well.”

Dumeran poured in 22 points and had 10 boards in leading Pine Manor to its second win of the season, 62-36 over Gordon College on December 4. Later that week, she recorded her most impressive performance of the month in a Pine Manor loss to Anna Maria College. Despite the result, Dumeran became one of only a handful of players in the nation to record a triple double, scoring 14 points, grabbing 17 rebounds and  recording a staggering 11 blocks.

She ended the Gators’ month of December with a dominating display at the Fisher College Holiday Hoops Classic, totaling 18 points and 22 rebounds in a 61-56 loss to Maine-Fort Kent on December 11, before grabbing 14 rebounds and scoring 17 points a day later to help Pine Manor earn its third win of the season, 64-36 over Fisher College.

Statistically, Dumeran has established herself as one of the top players in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) through the first half of the season. The 5'7" junior from Cambridge, MA, currently ranks fourth in the GNAC at 15.3 PPG and is second among GNAC players in rebounding, averaging 14.0 RPG. Dumeran’s defensive skill has also made her the top shot-blocker among GNAC players, totaling 25 blocks so far this season.

Dumeran and the Gators return to the court on January 5 vs. Wheelock College before Pine Manor will open its 2010-11 conference schedule on January 8, when they host Rivier College.

"Megan has a tremendous responsibility in running the offense, and she has risen to the challenge time and time again," said first-year head coach Mike Murphy following his team's 3-0 win at Mass Maritime last night.

Patch opened her career with a match-high 35-assist effort in a come-from-behind, upset victory over previously undefeated Newbury, 3-2 on Wednesday. She followed her stellar debut up with a 17-assist, 17-dig performance Friday night at Regis. After her first two matches, Patch averaged 26 set assists and 12.5 digs and five aces per match.

Her Gators travel to UMass-Dartmouth on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tilt with the Corsairs before opening Great Northeast Athletic Conference play in a tri-match Saturday at Lasell against St. Joseph's (ME) and the host Lasers.

Courtney Wallace went a combined 5-for-8, crushing three home runs and scoring six runs in becoming Pine Manor's all-time hits leader and tallying her 200th career hit last Tuesday night at Emmanuel. In Game 1, a 10-3 blowout victory for the Gators, Wallace broke Meghan Goss' Pine Manor all-time hits record with her 198th career hit with her sixth home run of the season.

In the night cap, Wallace recorded her 200th career hit on an opposite-field ground rule double to left. She ended the night and capped her storied career with a new Pine Manor record of 201 hits.

Over the weekend, Wallace was named All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference First Team catcher for a record fourth consecutive year. For the season, Wallace hit .a team-high 461, also leading the team with 25 runs, 41 hits, 12 doubles eight home runs and 29 RBI's.

Nelson's breakout week went hand in hand with the Gators resurgence, as the freshman picked up wins in all four Gators victories. She amassed 27.0 innings and allowed only nine runs over five appearances, including four complete games, going the distance twice in Friday's 9-3 and 10-2 sweep of Suffolk. For the week, Nelson held hitters to a .224 average.

One of only five Gators to play in all 31 games, Nelson appeared on the mound in 27 contests, including 17 complete games.

In Game 1, the sophomore Saco, ME native homered in her second at-bat and scored twice. She went 3-for-4 with two home runs in the late game, scoring twice and driving in two in a career day at the plate.  

For the season, Nielsen is now tied with senior Courtney Wallace atop the team lead in home runs with five. With only 40 at-bats on the season, Nielsen has now homered an astonishing once every eight at-bats.

Wallace enjoyed a red-hot week, both with the stick and in the field in which she homered in three of four games, including both games of a double header at Mount Ida.

The senior catcher hit .538 for the week and clubbed her way to a whopping 1.461 slugging percentage. In addition to her seventh-inning home run in a tie game at Simmons, Wallace secured the final outs of the sixth and seventh innings on collisions at home plate in Game 2 against the Sharks.

A First Team All-GNAC catcher in all of her first three seasons, Wallace's Gators are in action Tuesday afternoon, playing host to Emerson College.

Deegan tied for the team lead with three goals in Saturday's 10-8 win at St. Joseph (CT). The sophomore, who entered the week ranked eighth in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference at 5.20 shots per game, also scored both Gators goals in the team's 20-2 setback Thursday night at Emerson. For the season, she leads Pine Manor with 14 goals. 

Saturday's victory was not only the Gators first win of the season, but it was the first GNAC victory since the team joined the conference four seasons ago. Deegan's Gators are in action again Tuesday night at Simmons at 7 p.m.

Manley's seven points came on six goals, both career highs. The sophomore helped anchor a late first half comeback that saw the Gators go from down 9-2 to down only 9-8 at halftime, as she scored twice in the final 6:00 of the half.

She found the back of the net twice within 10 seconds in the second half, helping the Gators rally from trailing 16-10 to 16-13 as the team fell just short.

Manley's Gators are in action Tuesday at 4:30 at Lasell, Thursday at 6:00 at Emerson and Saturday at St. Joseph (CT) at noon.

Kennedy capped a mini three-game streak with a 3-for-3 day at the plate, which included an RBI and three runs scored, against Northwestern College of Minnesota. Two games later, the junior centerfielder/catcher collected her first four-hit game as a Gator, going 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored.

A transfer from Dean College and native of Franklin, MA, Kennedy is also a member of the Gators soccer team. Pine Manor softball returns to action on Tuesday, March 23 with a single game at UMass-Boston at 2:30 p.m. and plays its home opener Wednesday, March 24 with a doubleheader against Lasell at 3 p.m.

Wright (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough) sank the game-winning buzzer beater and secured the GNAC rebounding title with her monstrous 26-point, 22-rebound, four-block effort in Saturday's 75-73 win. Her tip-in as time expired sealed the Gators first road win of the season as the forward broke a three-way tie atop the league rebounding charts. In addition to her 22 boards, Wright also set career highs with 14 free throws in 17 attempts. 

Nelson (Rockport, MA/Rockport) exploded for career- and game-highs of 28 points on 7-13 shooting from three-point range, playing all 40 minutes Saturday. The forward also pulled down seven rebounds while shooting 7-8 at the charity stripe. Her seventh three-pointer tied the game at 68, capping a late ten-point comeback in the final minutes.

Wright's double-double, her sixth in her last eight games, catapulted her to second place in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in rebounding. The 5-8 forward currently averages 10.25 rebounds, which is second behind Lasell's Kim Archibald, who averages 10.27 per game.

When the duo met on Tuesday in Newton, Archibald coralled 13 rebounds in 31 minutes.Wright, meanwhile pulled down her 16 in 36 minutes.

Wright and the Gators close out their season on Saturday at St. Joseph's (CT) at 1 p.m.

The freshman has been equally as active around campus as she has been athletically. An Allentown, PA native, Roberts is a member of the Book Club and Yearbook staff. The Dean's List student also works part-time in the Annenburg Library and has volunteered as a host for student recruiting visits.

“Margaret Roberts is a stellar athlete who excels on the field, but she is very successful in the classroom with a 3.92 GPA," said soccer coach Cory Kinsella. "I am proud to have recruited such a well-rounded, focused student-athlete."

In only six games in goal for Kinsella's Gators, she led the team with 8.5 saves per game and tied for the team lead with one shutout and two wins.

Santos (left), a sophomore from Providence, RI, was honored with Rodriguez, Nielsen and Wallace on Saturday at halftime of the Gators basketball game. A defender and midfielder, Santos was a vocal, on-field leader for the 2009 Gators. Santos and 2008 All-GNAC selection Kasey Jeronimo mark the first back-to-back selections for Gators soccer since 2001.

Rodriguez finished eighth in the GNAC in goals per game, eighth in shots per game and ninth in points per game. A Bronx, NY native, Rodriguez led the Gators in goals for a second straight season as the team improved to 4-8, winning its first games in fours seasons in coach Jess Blair's first season at the helm.

For years one of the most prolific sluggers in the conference, Wallace (right) earned All-GNAC First Team honors after finishing fouth in the league with 53 hits in only 40 games. The catcher finished fourth in the league in triples (four) and fifth in total bases (86), also leading her team in runs, with 31.

Kayla Nielsen finished in the top four of the Gators in batting average (.313), home runs (three), hits (40), slugging percentage (.445) and total bases (57). One of four players to start all 41 games in 2009, the Saco, ME native was an invaluable utility player for a Gators team that finished second in GNAC wins, with 19.

Wright averaged 12.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over three league games on the week. She posted consecutive double-doubles with 15 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks on Wednesday at Johnson & Wales.  On Saturday against Albertus Magnus, the 5-8 forward totaled 14 points, 12 boards, three steals and a block.

For the season, Wright leads the Gators in scoring (12 points per game), rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game),  steals (25) and blocks (eight).

In a 59-52 loss to Wheelock on January 14, Nelson tied a career high with 11 points and set a personal best with six rebounds. The 5-foot-8 forward hit three three-pointers, also a team and personal season best, which kept the Gators in the game well into the second half. She logged a team-high 37 minutes before fouling out in the final minute.

Prior to the Wheelock game, Nelson connected on a pair of three-point field goals in a loss to Suffolk University in Pine Manor's Great Northeast Athletic Conference home opener. She scored six points on the night, adding a pair of steals.

Most recently, on Monday, January 18, Nelson poured in 10 points, hitting on a pair of three-point field goals, against Simmons College. Also a pitcher on the Pine Manor softball team, Nelson leads the Gators with 15 three-point field goals on the season.

While standing out on the volleyball court, the senior celebrated an outstanding fall semester away from the court. As an intern at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in Brighton, MA, Vozzolo assisted in pre-production and research for "High School Quiz Show," a game show in which students from Eastern Massachusetts put their wits to the test.

A Bellmore, NY native, Vozzolo produced a video entitled "Power to Peace" for the Boys & Girls Club. The video asked school children their thoughts on peace, and was shown in front of over 300 people on National Peace Day at the Boys & Girls Club in Dorchester, MA.

A libero on the volleyball court and center fielder on the diamond, Vozzolo is also active throughout campus as a third-year resident assistant.

Wright (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough) averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.7 assists over three games on the week. The sophomore grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds at Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday and scored a team-best 21 points at Gordon on Saturday.

The 5-foot-8 forward was named PMC Student-Athlete of the Week last week after being named to the All-Tournament Team at the UMass-Boston Tip-Off Classic. Wright totaled game-highs of 19 points and 15 rebounds in the consolation game of the Classic.

The sophomore turned in two outstanding performances on the week. At Bay Path College on November 15, Wright (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough) came off the bench for 10 points, six rebounds, one block and one steal, all in 10 minutes of play.

On Friday, November 21 against Southern Vermont at the Tip-Off Classic, Wright netted 19 points, 15 rebounds and three steals, all game-highs, in earning All-Tournament Team honors.

Wright's Gators return to the hardwood on Wednesday, December 2 at Wentworth Institute of Technology at 7 p.m.

After being named All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference Third Team, Christina Santos is our PMC Student-Athlete of the Week.

Santos (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael Academy) earned her acclaim as an aggressive, speedy back, protecting a pair of freshman goalkeepers. She tallied her first career point with an assist in the Gators 4-0 win at Massachusetts Maritime Academy on September 21.

The anchor of the Gators defense, the vocal back led a youthful Gators club that allowed two or fewer goals in seven contests, with the Green and White going 3-3-1 in those matches. Santos is the second Gator to garner All-GNAC honors in the last two season, with fellow sophomore Kasey Jeronimo named all-conference in 2008. 

The second-year hitter led Pine Manor with four digs in the team's loss to the host Wildcats, tying for the team lead with a season-high three set assists. Against St. Joseph's (ME), Gross totaled a match-high eight digs to go along with a solo block, a block assist and three more set assists.

A Coral Springs, FL native, Gross finishes the season among the Gators leaders in almost every category. The sophomore led the team in kills (141) and kills per set (2.01) and ranked second in digs (105), serve aces (23) and total blocks (30).

In silencing Mitchell, Roberts (Allentown, PA/Louis E. Dieruff) tallied eight saves. In the Gators 2-0 loss to Mount Ida on Tuesday, she stopped a career-high 11 shots.

The freshman enters the week as the team leader in goals against average (2.20) and saves percentage, stopping 80 percent shots. 

Grenier's first goal of the day put the Gators on the board in the first five minutes. The Mariners responded to take the lead with two straight goals, but Grenier (Swansea, MA/Joseph Case) did the same, scoring two more times and giving the lead back to the Gators, 3-2, in the 60th mnute. Pine Manor went on to a 4-3 win. 

Her third goal completed the sophomore's second hat trick of the season and third for her career. With eight goals on the season, Grenier is, as of Tuesday, tied for eighth in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The forward also ranks fourth in the league in shots per game (4.67), seventh in shots (56) and is tied for seventh in goals per game (0.67).

Keep up with Alicia and her Gators teammates on and off the field by reading Alicia's Student-Athlete blog with new entries every week.