BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State Bears have been picked to finish second in the 2014 Little East Conference (LEC) Women's Tennis Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches.

The defending champion Bears, who posted a record of 16-2 in 2013 including a perfect 8-0 conference mark, registered 52 points in the poll to finish behind preseason favorite Rhode Island College (71 pts).  RIC accrued seven first place votes, while the Bears picked up one.

Second year head coach John Nestel will look to seniors Rachael Eramo (Rowley, Mass.) and Melissa Flynn (Stoneham, Mass.) as well as junior Alison Vautrin (Somerset, Mass.) to provide a spark for BSU.  Eramo posted a 9-3 singles mark last season competing mostly at the sixth flight.  She also teamed with Vautrin for a 9-2 double record.  Flynn finished 11-5 in singles competition with eight wins coming at the fifth spot.  Vautrin posted an impressive 10-1 mark out of the fourth flight.

The BSU women's tennis team enters the 2014 campaign having won four straight Little East regular season titles.  The Bears also captured the conference tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament in three of the last four seasons.

The squad will open the 2014 campain on Thursday, September 4th as the Bears host non-conference foe Gordon College at four.