BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The results of the 2015 Little East Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Poll have been released and the Bridgewater State University Bears have been picked to finish second in the nine-team conference.

The Bears garnered 67 points, including two first place votes, to finish behind preseason favorite Rhode Island College (73 pts.). RIC also tallied two first place votes.

Plymouth State University received the most first place votes with five, yet finished third in the poll with 66 points.

BSU head coach John Nestel returns for his third year at the helm of the Bears' women's tennis program. Last season, Nestel guided the Bears to an overall record of 9-4 including a 6-2 mark in the Little East.

Returning to the lineup are senior captain Alison Vautrin (Somerset, Mass.) and sophomores Olivia Lakes (Dorchester, Mass.), Bojana Roman (Somerset, Mass.), Alison Scagnelli (Sutton, Mass.) and Alisha Silva (Taunton, Mass.).

The Bears open the 2015 campaign on Thursday, September 3rd (6:00 PM) on the road against non-conference foe Suffolk University.

Please click here for PDF results of the poll.