GORHAM, Maine—Five Beacons finished 2-0 to help UMass Boston women's tennis record their first three-match winning streak since September 2010.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 9, University of Southern Maine 0
(UMass Boston 4-3, Little East 3-1)
(Southern Maine 1-7, Little East 0-5)
HOW IT HAPPENED
UMass Boston women's tennis earned a sweep of doubles play and took all 12 sets in singles action to pick up their third consecutive win in conference play.
Senior Kelsey Shea (West Bridgewater, Mass.), juniors Kristy Garcia (Miami, Fla.), Kathleen Conroy (Quincy, Mass.) and Meghan Erickson (Hubbardston, Mass.) and freshman Katie Gauthier (West Boylston, Mass.) all finished a perfect 2-0 in the match.
Garcia and Gauthier opened the match with a dominant 8-0 win at number one doubles. The Beacons second pairing tacked on an 8-4 victory, as Shea and Conroy downed Rikki Demoranville and Joanna Scheidegger.
In the third and closest doubles match, Erickson and Valeria Tueme (Easton, Mass.) teamed up for the first time all season. The pair held off a tough challenge from Margaret Smith and Gabby Brooks 9-7.
With all the momentum on their side, the Beacons easily clinched the match victory.
Garcia extended the lead out to 4-0 at number one singles, as she cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win.
The Beacons clinched the win at number three singles, with Gauthier taking down Courtney Jordan 7-5, 6-1.
Shea continued her red-hot start to the season in singles with a 6-0, 6-2 win in her first match of the season at fifth singles.
UMass Boston pushed the lead to 7-0 at number two singles. Conroy fought off a late charge from Liz Martin in a 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) victory.
Erickson tacked on point number eight, with a 6-0, 6-1 win at number four singles against Smith.
In the final match of the day to conclude, junior Maria Benatuil (Caracas, Venezuela) earned her first collegiate win. Benatuil earned a commanding 6-0, 6-0 win at number six singles against Brooks in her collegiate debut.
BY THE NUMBERS
- UMass Boston's last three-match winning streak came from September 11-September 16, 2010. The Beacons had never won three-consecutive conference matches before this afternoon.
- The Beacons earned their second-straight win against the Huskies and improved to 5-14 overall against Southern Maine.
- UMass Boston had to rearrange their lineup Tuesday because of the absence of senior Vicky Woytowicz (Springfield, Mass.).
- Shea extended her winning streak to five-straight in singles and three in a row in doubles. The senior has won 10 of her 14 matches this season. She needs just six more wins to match her career high of 16 from a season ago.
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston will look to pull off a major upset on Saturday, when they travel to take on LEC Preseason Favorite Rhode Island College at 1 p.m.
