WORCESTER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's tennis team advanced to the semifinal round of the 2019 Little East Conference Tournament as the fifth-seeded Bears posted a 5-2 victory over #4 Worcester State University on Tuesday afternoon at the Corash Tennis Courts.
Bridgewater State (7-8) will take on top-seeded Rhode Island College in the tournament semifinals on Thursday afternoon at RIC. Match time has yet to be determined. The host Lancers, who knocked off the Bears during the regular season, end the 2019 campaign with an overall record of 9-6.
The Bears led 2-1 after doubles play. Junior Olivia Sweeney (Taunton, Mass.) and senior Emma Mills (Westport, Mass.) earned an 8-2 win at the second flight, while grad student Rachel Tarantino (Mansfield, Mass.) and senior Angelique Gray (Barnstable, Mass.) teamed up for an 8-3 triumph at number three.
Senior Lauren Taylor (Attleboro, Mass.) and junior Dominique Alves (Ludlow, Mass.) recorded the Lancers' lone doubles point with an 8-4 decision at the top spot.
In singles play, Mills notched a 6-2, 6-3 straight set win at the third flight to give the Bears a 3-1 lead. Junior Monika Mularski (Auburn, Mass.)) answered with a 6-2, 6-1 straight set victory at number four to cut the deficit to 3-2. BSU freshman Sailor Nordstrom (New Bedford, Mass.) staked the visitors to a 4-2 advantage with a 6-2, 6-4 straight set triumph at the top flight, before Gray recorded the decisive fifth point with a 6-3, 6-4 straight set win at number six.
The remaining two singles matches were left unfinished. The Bears and the Lancers split the first two sets at both second and fifth singles.