Women's Tennis Blanks Regis, 7-0

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's tennis team is off to a 2-0 start after a shutout victory Tuesday afternoon.

The Bears defeated visiting Regis College, 7-0, in a non-conference win in the home opener at the Rosen Memorial Courts.

BSU, which began the season with a 5-2 road victory over the University of Saint Joseph last weekend, had lost to Regis in each of the past two seasons.

Five freshmen, including three singles players, were winners for the Bears against the Pride.

Senior Meghan Lotti (Stoneham, Mass.), freshman Aislyn Kelliher (Plymouth, Mass.), freshman Fiona Clancy (Middleboro, Mass.),  junior Hannah Higgins (Rockland, Mass.) and freshman Grace Binegar (Norton, Mass.) were singles winners for the Bears.

The doubles teams of freshmen Sarah Pothier (Rochester, Mass.) and Morgan Smith (Taunton, Mass.) plus Clancy and Higgins scored victories.

Lotti, at No. 1, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over senior Harmony Lopez (Carlsbad, N.M.) while No. 2 Kelliher scored a 6-0, 6-0 win over junior Akshita Duvvuri (Chennai, India).

At No. 3 singles, Clancy was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over freshman Shalom Njau (Worcester, Mass.) while Higgins defeated freshman Alex Nicholls-Millen (Natick, Mass.), 6-1, 6-2, at No. 4.

The other singles winner was Grace Binegar at No. 5 as she defeated freshman Shyann Teixeira Kellam (Boston, Mass.), 6-0, 6-0.

The pairing of Pothier and Smith won over Lopez and Duvvuri, 8-3, while Clancy and Higgins defeated Njau and Nicholls-Millen, 8-2.

Binegar, Clancy and Higgins each recorded their first collegiate wins.

The Bears begin the Little East Conference season on Saturday with a road game against Rhode Island College at 1 p.m.

RIC is picked to finish second in the conference while BSU was the third choice in the coaches preseason poll.

Regis will play at home Thursday at 4 p.m. against Roger Williams.