Box ScoreBEVERLY, Mass. – Senior captain
Lindsay Benoit (Holden, Mass.) and sophomore
Cristina Szepanski (Windsor Locks, Conn.) picked up the only point for the Nichols College women's tennis team in a 5-1 to Endicott College in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship Sunday afternoon.
The Gulls (12-2) defeated the Bison for the fourth-consecutive year in the CCC Championship by winning two of the three doubles matches and the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 6 singles contests.
Endicott's first point came at No. 3 doubles as freshman Maxine Bergstein (Hingham, Mass.) and sophomore Mackenzie Rhodes (Rye, N.H) took care of freshmen
Ashley Dallaire (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and
Daniela Saldarriaga (Medellin, Colombia), 8-1.
The Gulls took a 2-0 lead after No. 1 doubles. Senior and CCC Player of the Year Amy Heacox (Marion, Mass.) paired with freshman Dayna Reilly (Swansea, Mass.) to defeat freshmen
Alanna Judd (Westborough, Mass.) and
Lauren Candia (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), 8-5.
Nichols (13-3) cut its deficit in half after No. 2 doubles when Benoit and Szepanski knocked off seniors Natalie Egbert (Gorham, Maine) and Chrissy Martel (Westbrook, Conn.), 8-4.
The Gulls quickly took charge of the singles matches. Egbert had no trouble with CCC First-Teamer Szepanski, winning 6-0, 6-1, while Heacox took care of Judd - the CCC Rookie of the Year - 6-1, 6-4. Endicott sealed the deal with a win at No. 6 singles. Rhodes swept the first set before going back-and-forth in the second set with Saldarriaga but ultimately came out on top, 6-0, 6-4.
In the matches that were not completed, Benoit had the lead over Reilly at No. 3 singles 6-4, 4-3 and at No. 4 singles; Candia and junior Suzie Newman (Dighton, Mass.) were tied at two in the third set after splitting the first two 4-6, 6-3; and Dallaire had the lead at No. 5 singles over junior Brittany Potter (Bedford, N.H.) 6-4, 5-4.
The Gulls now wait to see where the NCAA selection committee will send them for their NCAA Tournament match. The Bison will compete at the NEWITT's on October 17.
