MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sophomore
Sidney Huff (Port Orchard, Wash.) earned a pair of 7-5 wins at No. 4 singles to lift Plymouth State University to a 4-3 win over NCAA Division II Saint Anselm College in non-conference women's tennis action at the Saint Anselm Tennis Courts on Thursday afternoon.
The Panthers clinched the doubles point, nearly sweeping pairs play, but Saint Anselm evened the score with a win at No. 1 singles. Sophomore
Leela Bakhshi (Plymouth, N.H.) and senior
Anyah Fields (San Diego, Calif.) won in straight sets at Nos. 5 and 6 singles, respectively, but the Hawks took No. 3 to cut the margin to 3-2. Huff pulled out the clinching win at No. 4, 7-5, 7-5, to give the Panthers their first win in the series since 1993. The Panthers had not earned a team point against the Hawks since falling 4-3 in 2019.
Plymouth State improves to 5-2, while the Hawks fall to 0-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 4, Saint Anselm 3
- Plymouth State (5-2)
- Saint Anselm (0-2)
How it Happened:
- Fields and Bakhshi made quick work of their opponents in No. 3 doubles, 6-0.
- Huff and senior Sofia Orama (Marlborough, Conn.) clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win at No. 2, while senior Chloe Ahern (Middleton, Mass.) and junior Lauryn Corrigan (Littleton, N.H.) put up a good fight at No. 1, falling 7-6 (7-2).
- The Hawks pulled even with a win at No. 1 singles, but Bakhshi cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 5 to put the Panthers back in front.
- Fields extended the lead with a strong 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 6.
- Orama nearly rallied at No. 3, falling 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), but Huff sealed the win at No. 4 with identical 7-5, 7-5 wins.
- Corrigan took the opening set at No. 2, 6-2, but her opponent rallied to win the second, 6-2, and third, 6-3.
By the Numbers:
- Bakhshi and Fields have won five straight doubles matches to improve to 5-1 as a pair.
- Bakhshi's six singles wins are the most by a Panther since Orama and Elena Cardoso each won seven during the 2024-25 season.
- Fields and Huff each won their fifth singles matches of the year. Fields has won five straight.
- Plymouth State had not earned a team point against the Hawks since falling 4-3 in 2019.
- The Panthers' only other win in the series came in 1993.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns to Little East Conference (LEC) action on Tuesday (Sept. 29). First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Gorham High Courts.
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