Box Score BOSTON, Mass. – Never say never when it comes to UMass Boston Women's Tennis this season. The 2022 Little East Conference Champion Beacons returned to action on Sunday afternoon with a new make up as they were missing two key players while debuting a new one in their matchup against Simmons University. But still, UMass Boston found a way to overcome a forfeit in the singles and the doubles which put them down 2-0 against the Sharks to win 5-4 and improve to 12-1 on the season as they prepare to head to the NCAA Tournament next month.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 5, Simmons University 4
UMass Boston (12-1)
Simmons University (8-8)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Forfeit aside in the doubles, it was a clean sweep for UMass Boston in the #1 and #2 Doubles which essentially pulled them back to even with Simmons. Sophomores
Elena Albano and
Ayonna Stuppard teamed up in their first-ever #1 Singles match to defeat senior Libby Weed and Annabelle Halloran, 8-1. Meanwhile, the first-time duo of juniors
Lydia Chan and
Skylar Robles took down sophomores Julia Perconti and Avery Halloran, 8-3.
Needing three wins for the victory, the top half of the ladder went to work for the Beacons as Chan decisively took down Annabelle Halloran in two sets, 6-0 and 6-2, in the #1 Singles. Albano followed suit in the #2 Singles with matching 6-1 set wins over Weed to bring UMass Boston within one match win of victory. That would be where Stuppard clinched the match for the Beacons as she took the #3 Singles against senior Leah Bonis, 6-3 and 6-0.
Avery Halloran would defeat Robles in the #4 Singles to earn the Sharks a win after taking down the junior in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-0.
A thrilling #5 Singles between senior Samantha Margolin and UMass Boston newcomer Shreya Sarvana Rakshana saw the match go to three sets after Rakshana won set one, 6-4, and dropped set two, 6-1. In the tiebreaker, Margolin would prevail, 12-10, but it would still be the Beacons' match to win as they took the necessary five game wins to defeat Simmons, 5-4.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Ayonna Stuppard continued her dominance in Beacon Blue, moving to 11-0 in Singles and 10-1 in Doubles this season
- Elena Albano is now 9-0 in Singles and 10-2 in Doubles overall, when playing with Stuppard the duo is 9-1
- UMass Boston has now won eight consecutive matches, their longest winning streak in program history
- Skylar Robles notched her first #2 Doubles victory after teaming up with Lydia Chan on Sunday for the 8-3 win
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston currently has one more spring tune-up before the NCAA Tournament next month as they will take on Wheaton College (Mass.) this Thursday afternoon at 4:00 PM. This will be the first matchup between the two schools in program history.
