BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's tennis cruised to a 9-0 win over visiting UMass Dartmouth in a Little East Conference (LEC) match on Friday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

 

The Bears improve to 6-2 on the season and 4-1 in the Little East, while the visiting Corsairs fall to 5-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play. Bridgewater State is 15-11 versus UMass (6-5 at home) since the Bears joined the Little East in 2004.

 

Bridgewater swept the three doubles matches and captured of the six singles flights.

 

Senior Meghan Lotti (Stoneham, Mass.) and sophomore Samantha Bettencourt (Tiverton, R.I.) got the Bears on the board on the board with an 8-1 win at third doubles while the BSU freshman tandem of Aislyn Kelliher (Plymouth, Mass.) and Morgan Smith (Taunton, Mass.) followed with an 8-5 victory at the second flight. Senior Madeline Von Ruden (Ashley Falls, Mass.) and graduate student Mackenzie Silveira (Middletown, R.I.) completed the doubles sweep with an 8-6 decision at the top spot.

 

Freshman Sarah Pothier (Rochester, Mass.) gave the hosts a 4-0 lead with a 6-0, 6-0 straight set win at number five, and Bettencourt secured the decisive fifth point with a 6-0, 6-0 straight set triumph at the sixth flight. The Bears also received straight wins from Von Ruden at number one (6-4, 6-4), Silveira at the second flight (6-4, 6-1), Lotti at number three (6-4, 6-3) and Kelliher at the fourth flight (6-1, 6-1).

 

Von Ruden recorded wins #49 and #50 for her career. She has amassed 22 wins in singles competition and 28 wins in doubles play competing exclusively at the top flight.

 

Kelliher is now 7-1 in singles play on the season including a perfect 5-0 mark against conference opponents. The doubles pairing of Kelliher and Smith is 5-0 on the year and 4-0 in the Little East.

 

The Little East schedule continues for both teams on Saturday afternoon at one o'clock. The Bears host Plymouth State University while the Corsairs entertain Western Connecticut State University.