Box Score Panthers remain perfect through 10 matches
HOLDERNESS, N.H. – In a match-up of undefeated first-place teams, Plymouth State University edged Rhode Island College, 5-4, in a key Little East Conference women's tennis match at the Holderness School courts.
Plymouth State remains perfect on the season, improving to 10-0 overall and 6-0 against Little East opponents. The 10 wins for PSU equals the 2011 Panthers (10-5) for the most wins in a season in school history. Previously unbeaten RIC falls to 10-1 overall and 5-1 in the LEC.
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the doubles round, winning at No. 1 and No. 3. The PSU tandem of junior Zara Jakubas (Califon, N.J.) and freshman Sunny Jakubas (Califon, N.J.) led the way for Plymouth State with an 8-3 victory over RIC's senior Chelsea Brown (Wallingford, Conn.) and freshman Kim Daigle (Sterling, Mass.) at No. 1 doubles. PSU's freshman Cassidy Wells (Colchester, Vt.) and senior Rosalie DiRado (Gansevoort, N.Y.) posted an 8-6 win for PSU at No. 3, while junior Sadie Campanella (Chepachet, R.I.) and sophomore Julie Reddy (Smithfield, R.I.) put the Anchorwomen on the board with an 8-4 verdict at No. 2.
Zara Jakubas posted a straight-set victory in the marquis singles match of the day, improving her No. 1 singles record to 10-0 and handing previously-unbeaten Campanella (10-0) her first defeat of the season, 6-3, 6-2.
The teams split the next two matches to end, Reddy taking the No. 4 singles match for RIC and junior Nitsa Ioannides (El Cajon, Calif.) winning for PSU at No. 5. Sunny Jakubas needed a tiebreaker to win the first set before a 6-1 win triumph in the second set to claim the No. 2 singles match and clinch the team victory for PSU.
RIC finished off the scoring with singles wins by sophomore Noelle Tiberi (Smithfield, R.I.) at No. 6 and Brown in three sets at No. 3.
PSU is back in action with a key match Monday at 1:00 p.m. at Bridgewater State University, which is also unbeaten in LEC play. RIC returns home for a non-conference match Tuesday vs. Salve Regina University and an LEC match Thursday vs. Bridgewater State, both matches beginning at 3:30 p.m.
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