Panthers upend Huskies in Little East match

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State University women's tennis team won five of six singles matches Saturday afternoon to defeat the University of Southern Maine, 6-3, in the first match of the season at the P.E. Center Courts.

            The visiting Huskies captured two of the three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead in the match, but PSU responded with the strong performance in singles to record the team victory.  USM had defeated the Panthers last season by the same score.  PSU opens its season on the winning side, while USM drops to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

            Sophomore Rachel Figura (Cheshire, Conn.) and junior Lydia Smith (Marblehead, Mass.) were double winners for the Panthers.  They teamed up to post PSU's only doubles win in the No. 2 spot, and they were straight set winners at Nos. 3 and 4 singles, respectively.  The Panthers also got singles wins at No. 1 from Sara Burke (Barrington, R.I.), at No. 2 from junior Laura Donovan (Acton, Mass.) and at No. 5 from freshman Molly Heartfield (Dorset, Vt.).

            Freshman Emily Boutin (Old Town, Maine) recorded the only singles victory for the Huskies, winning in straight sets at No. 6.  Junior Katelyn Oullette (Lewiston, Maine) and sophomore Tegan Talbot (Topsham, Maine) won their match at No. 1 doubles, and senior Erica Robertson (St. Albans, Vt.) and freshman Sarah Moody (Scarborough, Maine) were victorious at No. 3 doubles.

            Plymouth State is home again on Tuesday for an LEC match against Worcester State University (3:30 p.m.), while Southern Maine plays a non-conference match Thursday at Gordon  (3:30 p.m.) 

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