MILTON, Mass. - Nichols College has earned the top seed for the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's tennis championship, which begins with a pair of quarterfinal matchups on campus sites Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Bison (10-3 overall) earned the top spot in the upcoming CCC tournament after posting a 7-1 record in conference play and emerging from a three-way tie atop the CCC regular-season standings with Endicott and Roger Williams.

Nichols and second-seeded Endicott College (9-3 overall, 7-1 CCC) will receive byes in Tuesday's quarterfinal round, while #3 seed Roger Williams University (9-4, 7-1) will host #6 seed Salve Regina University (3-7, 3-5) at 2:00 p.m. in Bristol, R.I. and #4 seed Curry College (8-5, 5-3) will host #5 seed Gordon College (8-6, 4-4) at 2:00 p.m. in Milton, Mass.

CCC tiebreaking procedures were used to sort out the top three seeds, as Nichols, Endicott and Roger Williams each posted 7-1 records in conference play. In the first step, head-to-head play among the three tied teams was examined. Each team posted a 1-1 record against the other two teams, as Nichols defeated Endicott, Endicott defeated Roger Williams, and Roger Williams defeated Nichols.

In the second step, records against each of the other six CCC teams were compared. This step offered no relief, as each of the tied teams posted 1-0 records against each of the others.

In the third step, records against common non-conference opponents were compared. Only one opponent – Colby-Sawyer – was common to the three tied teams, each of which defeated the Chargers.

In the fourth and final step, records against all teams – conference and non-conference – with winning percentages of .500 or higher were compared. While both Nichols and Endicott both logged a 4-3 record against such opponents, Roger Williams compiled a 4-4 mark. That eliminated RWU from the three-way tie and gave the Hawks the number three seed.

Nichols and Endicott were treated as a new tie and returned to the first step of the tiebreaking procedure. The Bison earned the top seed by virtue of a 5-4 victory over the Gulls on September 29 in Dudley.

Looking ahead to semifinal-round action on Thursday, October 10, Nichols will host the winner of the Curry-Gordon quarterfinal match in Dudley, Mass., while Endicott will entertain the winner of the Roger Williams-Salve Regina quarterfinal match in Beverly, Mass. Both semifinals are scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.

Semifinal winners will square off for the conference championship on Saturday, October 12 at 1:00 p.m. at the site of the higher seed.

For the Interactive Tournament Bracket - click HERE