Women's Tennis Falls to RIC in Little East Title Match

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Senior Dayna Reilly (Swansea, MA) was named the Most Outstanding Player as she led No. 1-seeded Rhode Island College to the 2017 Little East Conference Women's Tennis Championship with a 5-1 victory against No. 3-seeded Bridgewater State University on Saturday afternoon at the RIC Tennis Center.

It marks the seventh conference tournament championship (1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2017) for the women's tennis team and the first since the 2005 season. It also marks the first tourney title for RIC since the LEC went from an individual flight championship to a team tournament.

By virtue of the win, the Anchorwomen (16-0) will be making the program's first-ever NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Tournament appearance in May.

The Bears end the season with an overall record of 12-6.

RIC opened the match with a win at No. 1 doubles, as Reilly and freshman Laurel Ten Eyck (Warwick, RI) posted an 8-2 victory. Bridgewater State evened the match at 1-1 as seniors Bojana Roman (Somerset, MA) and Alison Scagnelli (Sutton MA) notched an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles. The Anchorwomen held a 2-1 advantage after doubles action when freshmen Grace Zangari (Saunderstown, RI) and Victoria Vittori (New Bedford, MA) posted an 8-4 win at No. 3 doubles. 

RIC extended its lead to 3-1 as Reilly posted a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 1 singles. Zangari recorded a 7-5, 6-1 win at the No. 2 singles spot to put RIC ahead 4-1. Freshman Hailey Raskob (North Smithfield, RI) sealed the LEC Championship for RIC as she posted a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles.