Box Score BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - The Little East Conference Women's Tennis tournament will once again run through Boston. The reigning champions, UMass Boston, continued their unbeaten streak in conference play against Bridgewater State on Tuesday, securing the top overall seed in the postseason tournament and claiming at least a share of the regular season title.

THE BASICS
UMass Boston 8, Bridgewater State University 1

UMass Boston (8-1, 7-0 LEC)
Bridgewater State University (7-3, 4-1 LEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
For the second match in a row, UMass Boston's opponent entered the match with a perfect 4-0 record in conference play. The Beacons, boasting a 6-0 record of their own, proved worthy of the challenge.

Playing out of the first doubles position, the duo of veteran Lydia Chan and newcomer Zainab Patel made quick work of their counterparts, winning their match 8-4. The freshman tag team of Sandra Watson and Kaya-Lilliana Rutkowski took their match by the same final score, putting the team up 2-0. The doubles sweep was secured by Elena Albano and Ayonna Stuppard who got back to their winning ways, improving their record on the season to 7-1.

The match victory was secured swiftly during the doubles set as Albano and Watson each finished off clean sweeps of the Bridgewater State opponents. The first doubles squad was next to secure singles victories with Chan winning 6-0, 6-1 from second singles and Patel winning 6-1, 6-1 from first. Stuppard took the eighth and final point of the match from her opponent 6-3, 6-2. The last set of the afternoon went the way of the Bears, but not before the match was firmly in the hands of the Beacons.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Beacons have won 15 straight LEC matches dating back to the beginning of the 2022-23 season
• Freshmen Patel (6-0) and Watson (8-0) each remained undefeated in singles play this season
• Albano and Stuppard are 17-6 in their last 23 doubles matches
• Patel and Chan are 4-0 when paired up for doubles matches this season
• The Beacons secured the top overall seed in the LEC Women's Tennis tournament for the second season in a row and at least a share of their second straight regular season title
• UMass Boston has won three of their last four matches against Bridgewater State, improving their record in the all-time series to 3-16

WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will take a day off before finishing out their non-conference schedule against Nichols on Thursday.