By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University women's tennis player Madeline Von Ruden (Ashley Falls, Mass.) has received a double honor on the All-Little East Conference Team for the fourth straight year.
Von Ruden, who played at No. 1 throughout her career, was chosen to the all-conference first team in singles and also the first team in doubles with graduate student Mackenzie Silveira (Middletown, R.I.).
Silveira was also selected to the All-Little East second team in singles in her final year with the Bears.
BSU sophomore Samantha Bettencourt (Tiverton, R.I.) was one of nine players selected to the Little East Sportsmanship Team.
The Bears finished third in the Little East with a 6-2 record and went 10-4 overall. BSU defeated UMass Dartmouth in the quarterfinal round of the Little East Tournament before losing to Rhode Island College in the semifinal round.
Von Ruden went 8-3 at No. 1 singles and was 6-2 in the Little East this season.
She played every one of her matches in four seasons at No. 1 singles, going 25-26, including 17-12 in the conference.
In doubles this season, Von Ruden and Silveira were 9-3 at No. 1, including 5-2 in the Little East.
Von Ruden was 32-23 playing doubles in her career, going 19-11 in conference matches. All of her doubles matches in four seasons were at No. 1 as well.
Von Ruden was selected the Little East Rookie of the Year in 2021 when she was 7-7 in singles and 9-7 in doubles. She was the first BSU player to earn that honor.
As a sophomore in 2022, Von Ruden made the all-conference second team in singles and joined teammate Abigail Ramer on the All-Little East second team in doubles.
Last season, Von Ruden earned second-team honors in singles and doubles, pairing with Silveira for the first time a year ago.
Silveira, who transferred from Dean College in 2020, was 6-4 at No. 2 singles this season and 5-2 in the conference.
Silveira began her BSU career in 2021 playing Nos. 5 and 6 singles and posting a 2-2 record while going 13-3 (7-1 in the Little East) at mostly No. 3 doubles.
In 2022, Silveira was the No. 3 singles player and went 5-5 and 3-3 in the Little East. She mostly played on the No. 2 doubles team and was 10-4, 6-2 in the conference.
A year ago, Silveira moved up to No. 2 singles and was 8-6 and 5-3 in the Little East.
She finished 39-21 in doubles, 22-9 in the conference, and 21-17 in singles, 14-8 in the Little East.
Silveira and Von Ruden were 16-10 in dual doubles matches, 9-6 in the Little East the last two years.
Bettencourt played mostly No. 6 singles and was 9-3, including 6-1 in the Little East, this season. She was 8-5 in dual doubles matches at No. 3 and 6-2 in the conference.
Sophomore Zainab Patel (Ahmedabad, India) of the University of Massachusetts Boston was chosen the Little East Singles Player of the Year, and Patel and graduate student Lydia Chan (Quincy, Mass.) were named the Doubles Team of the Year.
Freshman Haylie Peacock (West Gardiner, Maine) of Rhode Island College was picked as the Rookie of the Year and UMass Boston's Malcolm Neville was named the Coach of the Year.
UMass Boston won its third straight Little East tournament title, 5-1, over RIC on Saturday at the Weymouth Club.
2024 Little East Conference Women's Tennis All-Conference Team (PDF)