BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Plymouth State University women's tennis team clinched at least a share of the Little East Conference regular season title as the visiting Panthers posted a 5-4 win over Bridgewater State University on Monday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.
Plymouth State remains unbeaten on the season with a perfect 11-0 record including a 7-0 mark in the Little East. The eleven wins is a new program single-season record eclipsing the previous mark of ten set in 2005 (10-5). Coincidentally, 2005 is also the last time that Plymouth won the LEC regular season crown. The host Bears slip to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
In a match that lasted three and half hours, Plymouth battled back from a 2-1 deficit after doubles play to record wins in four of the six singles flights.
Doubles victories by Alison Vautrin (Somerset, Mass.) and Bojana Roman (Somerset, Mass.) at the second flight (8-3) and Rachael Eramo (Rowley, Mass.) and Alison Scagnelli (Sutton, Mass.) at the third spot (8-4) staked BSU to the early 2-1 advantage. The sister tandem of Zara and Sunny Jakubas (Califon, N.J.) gave the Panthers their lone doubles point with an 8-3 decision at number one.
The Bears have led after doubles play in each of the last seven matches.
Zara Jakubas cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win at first singles, while Sunny Jakubas breezed to a 6-0, 6-1 triumph at the second flight as Plymouth State jumped ahead, 3-2. Nikki Lund (Hingham, Mass.) battled back from a set down to post a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 decision at number four to put the Panthers up by two.
The Bears came back to tie the match with wins at fifth and sixth singles. Eramo won in three sets at number five, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4, while Roman notched a 6-2, 6-2 straight set win at six. Eramo is unbeated in singles play on the 2014 campaign with a perfect 6-0 record. She is also 7-1 in doubles action.
In the final match of the day to finish up, Cassidy Wells (Colchester, Vt.) rebounded from a set down to record a well-earned 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 triumph at the third flight to give the Panthers the team victory.
Prior to the match, Bridgewater honored seniors Eramo, Melissa Flynn (Stoneham, Mass.) and Hayley Perron (Plympton, Mass.). The three were playing in their final regular season home match.
The Bears travel to Rhode Island College on Thursday afternoon for a 3:30 LEC match with the Anchorwomen. The Panthers wrap up regular season play on Saturday afternoon when they host conference foe Worcester State University at one.