PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Elena Cardoso (Hudson, Mass.) outlasted her opponent in a grueling singles match, but Bridgewater State University got past Plymouth State University, 8-1, in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's tennis match at the Holderness School Courts on Sunday afternoon.
With the setback, Plymouth State finishes in a three-way tie for fourth place in the LEC but will be the fifth seed for the LEC Tournament after application of the league's tie-break procedure. PSU travels to fourth-seeded UMass Dartmouth for a first round matchup on Tuesday (Oct. 17).
Cardoso secured the lone point for the Panthers in exciting fashion, eking out a first set win in a tiebreaker, then taking the ten-point super breaker by a 13-11 score.
Plymouth State ends the regular season at 6-6 (4-4 LEC), while Bridgewater State improves to 9-4 and 6-2 in conference play. The Bears will be the third seed for the tournament.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, Bridgewater State 8
- Plymouth State (6-6, 4-4 LEC)
- Bridgewater State (9-4, 6-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Bears got out to a quick start with a sweep of pairs play. Freshman Chloe Ahern (Middleton, Mass.) and junior Amelia Brown (Meredith, N.H.) put up a fight at No. 3, falling by a narrow 8-5 decision.
- Senior Camilla Puzio (Holden, Mass.) and junior Tessa LaBarre (North Smithfield, R.I.) played at No. 2 doubles, coming up short by an 8-3 score, while Cardoso and sophomore Alyssa Craigie (Gilford, N.H.) dropped an 8-1 decision at No. 1.
- BSU carried the momentum into singles play, picking up quick wins at No. 1 and No. 6 to lock up the contest.
- Ahern dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision at No. 3 and Puzio came up just short in a 7-5, 6-3 setback at No. 5.
- Craigie, locked in a lengthy battle at No. 2, ultimately succumbed by a 6-3, 7-5 margin.
- Cardoso locked up the win at No. 4 to close out the day, surviving the opening set 7-6 (7-5), before dropping set two by a 6-2 score. Undeterred, Cardoso gutted out an extended super breaker by a 13-11 score to avoid the shutout.
By the Numbers:
- Cardoso ends the regular season as the winner of four straight singles matches to post a 6-6 mark. Her six singles wins are tied with Brown (6-2) for the second-most on the team, trailing just Puzio who posted a 7-5 mark.
- LaBarre and Puzio wrap up the regular season as the top doubles pairing with a 5-2 record.
- LaBarre and Cardoso each own 22 career singles wins, tied for the 11th most in program history.
- Bridgewater State has held the upper hand in the head-to-head series, winning 17-of-22 matchups, including each of the last four.
Up Next:
- As the fifth seed, Plymouth State travels to fourth-seeded UMass Dartmouth for the first round of the LEC Tournament on Tuesday (Oct. 17) at 3:00 p.m. The Corsairs earned a 7-2 decision over PSU during the regular season meeting on Sept. 16.
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