If there’s ever a time to get excited for an upcoming season, it should be now. UMass Boston Women’s Tennis program aced their Fall 2022 season, taking a prodigious leap forward after winning their first Little East Conference championship in its 27-year history. Now, going into year 28, women’s tennis looks to embark on a second journey to victory, and even though there will likely be some adversity and hardships along the way, the Beacons look to shine bright.
Last year, the Beacons strung together numerous winning streaks en route to their title, much of which was attributed to an excellent display of dominance among a group of first year players, transfers and seasoned veterans. Their 5–4 loss to Roger Williams University Sept. 29, 2022 stopped the group from perfection (1), but nonetheless, the end goal was conquered, and the team is now back for seconds.
Of course, now that the group has received a lot of praise, with said praise comes expectations. And though they made a lot of noise in the LEC last fall, there wasn’t as much racketing going on with their subsequent spring tune-up. While women’s tennis was in their element during the autumn, come spring time, their performance on the court was nothing short of polarizing compared to what transpired just mere months prior.
The team broke records and kept an unfathomably high winning streak alive, both of which greatly contributed to a clear-cut path toward championship victory over Rhode Island College after securing the first seed in the LEC tournament. However, it was what occurred in the spring that raises questions about whether this team has what it takes to repeat their stretch of buoyancy. Aside from their loss to Roger Williams University last year—which, mind you, plays in a different conference than UMass Boston—the Beacons held an 11–1 record and went undefeated against LEC opponents. Of those 11 victories, five of them were 9–0 sweeps, which tied a program record. On top of that, the Beacons are still hanging onto a larger-than-life 23-game home winning streak that has been kept alive for nearly five years (2).
In the spring, something changed, and it wasn’t for the better. The team wasn’t able to get back to their winning ways, and en route to a potential run for the NCAA Division III championship, they lost steam with a shorthanded squad and dropped three in a row, the last one being a 5–2 loss in a playoff matchup against Colby-Sawyer May 5, 2023. (3) While it may be tough to come back from a blistering defeat, the Beacons have the poise and talent to do so, and hope to put that on full display this upcoming year.
The team will be led by a core of returning juniors and seniors, and luckily keep their group of top singles players intact. Rising seniors, Skylar Robles and Lydia Chan, will be leading the way as both mentors and benefactors. Rising juniors, Elena Albano and Ayonna Stuppard, make up the head of the pack, representing the team as the top duo in doubles, not to mention the top two slots in singles as well.
The group may have had some hiccups in the past, but this year, women’s soccer hopes to set the bar as a program. With the help of returning stars, the team hopes they can keep their sights set on championship glory for years to come. Their short-lived Spring 2023 season may have abruptly ended with unfortunate results, but their extended fall saw the group click better than ever. This year, there may be some people holding the phone to see how their first few weeks will pan out, but with their talent, it’s safe to say that women’s tennis will answer the call relatively quickly and shatter expectations once again.
Catch women’s tennis’ home opener against Curry College Saturday, Sept. 16. Be there to support your fellow Beacons as they begin a new road to the top.
- Women’s Tennis Falls 5-4 in Battle of Unbeatens Versus Roger Williams – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2022/10/22/champions-womens-tennis-wins-first-little-east-conference-crown-in-27-year-history-of-program.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2023/5/5/stellar-season-comes-to-close-for-womens-tennis-in-first-round-of-ncaa-tournament.aspx