Box Score BOSTON, Mass. - UMass Boston Women's Tennis kept things tight in their season opener, winning three of their six singles matches before dropping two of three doubles matches for a narrow 5-4 loss to Wheaton College.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 4, Wheaton College 5
UMass Boston (0-1)
Wheaton College (4-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wheaton won the first 2 matches of the day at the first and third doubles spots. Junior pair
Elena Albano and
Ayonna Stuppard kept the Beacons within striking distance, winning a close tie-breaker set 8-7. Wheaton went into the break with a 2-1 advantage.
In the ensuing singles matches, freshmanÂ
Zainab Patel was the first to finish and won the first collegiate match of her career, tying the overall score at 2-2. Wheaton won the next 3 matches to win it 5-2. Umass Boston finished the day with 2 more singles wins, with senior
Lydia Chan winning a 3 setter at first singles, and freshman
Sandra Watson getting the first win of her career at the 6 spot.
BY THE NUMBERS
- When paired together, Albano and Stuppard are 10-5 in doubles matches over the last two seasons
- Chan has dropped just one singles match across the last two fall seasons
- Patel's 6-0 victory in the second set of her singles match was the widest margin of victory in any set on Thursday and her 6-1 win in the first set was tied for the second largest
- The Beacons have dropped each of their matchups with Wheaton in a series dating back to last year
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will keep things at home on Saturday when they host Salem State University for their Little East Conference opener at the BC High tennis courts at noon.
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