BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior
Chloe Ahern (Middleton, Mass.) won the opening set at No. 1 singles before falling in three sets as Bridgewater State University defeated Plymouth State University, 7-0, in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's tennis match at Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts on Saturday.
Plymouth State finishes the regular season at 8-5 (4-4 LEC) and earns the fifth seed for next week's LEC Tournament. The Panthers will travel to fourth-seeded UMass Dartmouth for a first-round match on Tuesday (Oct. 20). Bridgewater State improves to 10-4 (7-1 LEC).
Ahern took the opening set, 6-3, but her opponent rallied to win the second and third sets to secure the victory. The Panthers also picked up games in several of the remaining singles matches but were unable to break through for a team point.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, Bridgewater State 7
- Plymouth State (8-5, 4-4 LEC)
- Bridgewater State (10-4, 7-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Ahern and junior Lauryn Corrigan (Littleton, N.H.) fell at No. 1 doubles, 6-2, while sophomores Sidney Huff (Port Orchard, Wash.) and Leela Bakhshi (Plymouth, N.H.) dropped No. 2 doubles by the same score as the Bears clinched the doubles point.
- Ahern put up a strong fight at No. 1 singles, winning the opening set, 6-3, before her opponent rallied to take the second set and clinch the match with a 6-3 win in the third.
- Corrigan dropped a pair of 6-3 sets at No. 2 singles, while Huff won five games in a 6-2, 6-3 setback at No. 3.
- Bakhshi and senior Anyah Fields (San Diego, Calif.) fell by identical scores of 6-3, 6-1 at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
- Sophomore Amelia Laidlaw (New Boston, N.H.) rounded out the PSU lineup at No. 6 singles in the regular-season finale.
By the Numbers:
- PSU's eight regular-season wins are its most since 2021.
- The Panthers have finished 4-4 in league play in four of the last five seasons.
- Bridgewater State has won seven straight matchups against PSU.
- The Bears are assured of a top-three seed in the tournament, pending the outcome of Sunday's (Oct. 18) match between Rhode Island College and UMass Boston.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State travels to UMass Dartmouth for the first round of the LEC Tournament on Tuesday (Oct. 20).
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