PSU captures first Little East Conference Women’s Tennis Championship
GORHAM, Maine - Plymouth State University captured its first Little East Conference women's tennis championship Saturday, sneaking past defending champion Rhode Island College by one-half point in the team standings.
PSU earned its first team title in the 11 years of the event, which was hosted by the University of Southern Maine. The Panthers brought home three individual champions and one doubles champion. In the individual flights prior to this season, PSU had won only three singles titles in 10 years and had never won a doubles crown.
Plymouth State clinched the championship when sophomore Erica Huckins (Plymouth, N.H.) captured the title at No. 2 singles, giving the Panthers 17 points. RIC, which won team championships three of the last five years (1999, 2001, 2003), finished with 16.5 points. The rest of the field included Bridgewater State (11), Salem State (10), Southern Maine (7), UMass Dartmouth (4.5) and Western Connecticut (4).
Huckins, who finished the season with an 8-5 singles record, was one of three singles champions for PSU. Junior Rachel Xavier (Meredith, N.H.) won her second straight conference championship at No. 4 singles, wrapping up the season with a sparkling 12-1 record. Sophomore Ashley Gorman (Cumberland, R.I.), who had played in and won only one match this season prior to the tournament, defeated three straight opponents to take the title at No. 6 singles.
Freshman Jill Deyermond (Atkinson, N.H.) teamed up with Xavier to win the championship at No. 2 doubles. The tandem finished the season with an 8-0 record since joining up together. Deyermond also advanced to the finals at No. 3 singles before getting knocked out, and finished with a 7-5 mark on the campaign.
Gorman was joined by junior Liz Duell (Hope Valley, R.I.) at No. 3 doubles, and the team made it to the finals before being eliminated and finishing the season with a 5-3 record. Junior Whitney O'Leary (Sagamore Beach, Mass.) rebounded from a first-round loss in the No. 1 singles bracket with a consolation-round victory.
The Panthers were 6-4 in dual matches this season under first-year coach Barbara Rawlsky-Willett.
Final Results
Team Scores:
1. Plymouth
State 17.0
2. Rhode Island
College
16.5
3. Bridgewater
State 11.0
4. Salem
State
10.0
5. Southern
Maine
7.0
6. UMass
Dartmouth
4.5
7. Western
Connecticut
4.0
Doubles Championships
First Flight
Kie Tanaka/Naomi Torii (SSC) def. Katie Welch/Catie McCarthy
(SM), 6-4, 6-4
Second Flight
Jill Deyermond/Rachel Xavier (PS) def. Becky Jenkins/Dianna
Sullivan (BSC), 6-4, 6-2
Third Flight
Tara Marchant/Michaela Grant (RIC) def. Ashley Groman/Liz Duell
(PS), 6-1, 6-4
Singles Semifinals
First Flight
Katie Welch (SM) def. Kendra Sloat (WC), 7-6 (2), 6-4
Kim Palumbo (BSC) def. Kie Tanaka (SSC), 6-2, 7-6 (3)
Second Flight
Aprile Lozzi (SSC) vs. Rebecca Jenkins (BSC), 1-6, 7-6 (1)
(10-2)
Erica Huckins (PS) def. Meghan Mooney (RIC), 6-2, 6-2
Third Flight
Audrey Davis (RIC) def. Dianna Sullivan (BSC), 1-6, 7-6 (1)
(10-7)
Jill Deyermond (PS) def. Naomi Torii (SSC), 6-2, 6-4
Fourth Flight
Kseniya Gurvich (RIC) def. Kristen Spooner (UMD), 6-1,
6-4
Rachel Xavier (PS) def. Jacquelyn Levangie (BSC), 7-5, 6-3
Fifth Flight
Tara Marchant (RIC) def. Casea Parady (SM), 6-4, 6-2
Alyssa Beaton (SSC) def. Amy Rego (BSC), 6-4, 3-6 (10-6)
Sixth Flight
Ashley Gorman (PS) def. Emily Straubel (SM), 6-4, 6-4
Caitlin Morin (RIC) def. Robyn Del Duca (BSC), 6-2, 6-4
Singles Consolation Round
First Flight
Whitney O'Leary (PS) def. Sara Charwick (UMD), 8-1
Liz Barrette (RIC) wins by default
Second Flight
Sarah Holmes (WC) def. Simone Lynds (SM), 8-1
Hannah Chavez wins by default
Third Flight
Catie McCarthy (SM) def. Katie Poirier (WC), 8-2
Katie Haepers (UMD) wins by default
Fourth Flight
Chelsea Parady (SM) def. Alissa Welch (SSC), 8-5
Tamra Butler (WC) wins by default
Fifth Flight
Cailin McGaughan (WC) def. Liz Duell (PS), 8-4
Jyoti Folch (UMD) wins by default
Sixth Flight
Cara Walsh (WC) def. Alicia Newton (UMD), 8-1
Sara Pawnovic (SSC) wins by default
Singles Championships
First Flight
Kim Palumbo (BSC) def. Katie Welch (SM), 6-2, 6-4
Second Flight
Erica Huckins (PS) def. Aprile Lozzi (SSC), 7-5, 6-2
Third Flight
Audrey Davis (RIC) def. Jill Deyermond (PS), 6-1, 6-2
Fourth Flight
Rachel Xavier (PS) def. Kseniya Gurvich (RIC), 6-2, 6-0
Fifth Flight
Tara Marchant (RIC) def. Alyssa Beaton (SSC), 7-5, 3-6 (10-6)
Sixth Flight
Ashley Gorman (PS) def. Caitlin Morin (RIC), 6-3, 6-3
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