BOSTON, Mass. – History was made at the BC High Tennis Courts as UMass Boston Women's Tennis downed Rhode Island College, winners of the last seven Little East Conference Regular Season Championships, 5-4 at home to win the LEC Regular Season Championship for the first time in program history.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 5, Rhode Island College 4
UMass Boston (9-1, 8-0 LEC)
Rhode Island College (10-1, 7-1 LEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Beacons found themselves in a 2-1 hole after the three doubles matches as juniors
Lydia Chan and
Meagan Carney dropped the #1 Doubles against senior Jenna Lisi and junior Lauren Macera, 8-5. Chan and Carney trailed 6-1 in the match before making a comeback that fell just short.
Sophomores
Elena Albano and
Ayonna Stuppard dropped the #3 Doubles match, 8-6, to freshman Erica Botelho and senior Serena Bobola. The duo fell down in the match 4-1 and then trailed 7-4 before nearly pulling off the comeback victory. Trailing 7-6 and with a 40-30 edge in the set, Botelho and Bobola won the next three points to take the match.
Freshman
Ayra Shaikh and
Yana Semerly were quick to dispatch of junior Amiah Sommer and sophomore Amara Devine in the #2 Doubles, winning in dominating fashion, 8-1.
In the first five singles matches to take the playing surface, the Beacons got the other four wins they would need to clinch victory. After Semerly was taken down by Lisi in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-3 in the #1 Singles, Stuppard narrowly avoided a third set against senior Clara Siegmund who pulled within 5-4 before the sophomore closed the door on her #5 Singles victory.
Minutes later it was Chan over Macera in straight sets, 6-3, and 6-2, to pull the Beacons even at three wins with the Anchorwomen before UMass Boston would put the dagger in the match.
Within three seconds of each other, it was both Shaikh and Albano over Botelho and Gonick with identical two set performances of 6-1 and 6-3 to get the Beacons to the five matches necessary to take the Little East Conference Regular Season Championship.
In the #6 Singles, senior
Lia Vassiliadis would fall in two sets to Bobola, 6-3 and 6-0, to cap off the afternoon at the BC High Tennis Courts.
BY THE NUMBERS
- It had been 2,177 days since the Anchorwomen had lost a regular season match to a Division III opponent (October 29th, 2018)
- UMass Boston snapped Rhode Island 58-game winning streak in conference play
- The Beacons snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Anchorwomen dating back to 2011
- UMass Boston has now won 21 consecutive matches at home dating back to 2018
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will turn their attention to the Little East Conference Tournament and await the winner of the to be determined LEC Quarterfinals match taking place on Tuesday afternoon. UMass Boston will return to action in the LEC Tournament Semifinals on Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM on the BC High Tennis Courts against an opponent to be announced.
