Corsairs overcome challenge from Seahawks
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's tennis team broke open a close match and sailed to a 7-2 victory over Salve Regina University in a non-league match Thursday afternoon at the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Complex Tennis Courts.
The Corsairs (3-2) took a narrow 2-1 advantage from the doubles and won the first four singles matches to be completed for an unassailable 6-1 advantage en route to the victory.
With the match tied at 1-1, the hosts top doubles duo of senior Nicole Pelletier (Swansea, Mass.) and junior Hannah Schulze (Chelmsford, Mass.) nipped the Seahawks' Kasey Walther (Natick, Mass.) and Hayley Maxwell (Pound Ridge, N.Y.), 9-8, winning the tiebreaker, 7-3. Pelletier-Schulze had rallied from an early 0-3 deficit and twice served for the match before taking the crucial point in the tie-breaker.
Seniors Angela Pollard (Portsmouth, R.I.) and Allison Furtado (Fairhaven, Mass.) staked UMass Dartmouth to a 1-0 lead with an 8-4 win in No. 2 doubles over freshman Taylor Amendola (Westbrook, Conn.) and junior Meg Olson (Colchester, Vt.). Salve Regina's (2-4) third flight doubles team of sophomores Lindsey Macedo (Berkley, Mass.) and Isabelle Weatherby (Newport, R.I.) evened the match with an 8-5 decision over senior Casey Auman (North Dartmouth, Mass.) and Rosalie Kimba (Milford, Mass.).
The first four singles matches started with tight opening sets, but the Corsairs earned some breathing room with quick victories at No. 5 and 6 singles, respectively. Auman defeated Olson 6-1, 6-0 at fifth singles, while freshman Katelyn Capone (Abington, Mass.) topped Weatherby 6-3, 6-0 at the final singles position.
Pelletier clinched the victory with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over Walther at top-flight singles. Pollard broke open a tight match with Amendola, winning the first set 7-5 and then going on a 6-0 run at third singles.
Maxwell earned the Seahawks second point by defeating Schulze 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2 singles. Furtado earned the final point at fourth singles, outlasting Macedo 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 10-6.
Tennis Match Results
Salve Regina vs Mass.-Dartmouth
09/26/13 at N. Dartmouth, Mass.
(UMD Tennis Courts)
Mass.-Dartmouth 7, Salve Regina 2
Singles competition
1. Nicole Pelletier (UMD) def. Kasey Walther (SRU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
2. Hayley Maxwell (SRU) def. Hannah Schulze (UMD) 6-4, 6-3
3. Angela Pollard (UMD) def. Taylor Amendola (SRU) 7-5, 6-0
4. Allison Firtado (UMD) def. Lindsey Macedo (SRU) 6-7, 6-2, 10-6
5. Casey Auman (UMD) def. Meg Olson (SRU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Katelyn Capone (UMD) def. Isabelle Weatherby (SRU) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Nicole Pelletier/Hannah Schulze (UMD) def. Kasey Walther/Hayley Maxwell (SRU) 9-8
2. Angela Pollard/Allison Firtado (UMD) def. Taylor Amendola/Meg Olson (SRU) 8-4
3. Lindsey Macedo/Isabelle Weatherby (SRU) def. Casey Auman/Rosalie Kimba (UMD) 8-5
Match Notes:
Salve Regina 2-4
Mass.-Dartmouth 3-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,5,1,2,3,4)
T-3:06 A-75