DeRienzo will enter this week’s NEC Championship riding a wave of momentum, having won four straight and seven of her last eight #1 singles matches for the Pioneers. In a 3-1 week for Sacred Heart, DeRienzo first knocked off Providence’s Maria Bernardez last Wednesday in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, and was up comfortably on Hartford’s Ashley Harel the following afternoon when Harel retired late in the first set. On Saturday, the Douglaston, NY product rolled past UMass’ Sonia Bokhari, 6-2, 6-3, then wrapped her busy week on Monday with a 6-2, 6-1 over Fairfield’s Monica Yajima. She also teamed with Nicole Rydzewski to win three-of-four #2 flight doubles matches. DeRienzo improved her singles record to 19-10 on the year, including 12-6 in flight #1 dual match play.