For the second year in a row, UMass Boston Women’s Tennis finds themselves atop the Little East Conference. After earning a bye week for the LEC tournament, according to Beacons Athletics, the Beacons found themselves matched up against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs. [1] According to Corsair Athletics, the Corsairs swept Plymouth State University 5–0 prior to their match against the Beacons. [2]
When these two schools matched up in the regular season, the Beacons came out on top 7–2. [1] With the dominance the Beacons had throughout the season, getting two on them was a solid accomplishment. Unfortunately for the Corsairs though, they could not find any success this time.
The doubles went smoothly for the Beacons. According to Beacons Athletics, Lydia Chan and Zanaib Patel took care of their set, winning 8–3, shortly followed by the dominant duo of Ayonna Stuppard and Elena Albano, who won their set with the same score. Closing out the doubles matches were Meagan Carney and Sandra Watson, who took care of their opponents 8–5. [3] The Beacons were two single wins away from another trip to the championship.
They got exactly what they needed when Albano and Chan cruised through their singles matches, giving up only one and two points respectively. The Beacons had officially swept the Corsairs 5–0 and were going to get the chance to defend their title as LEC champions. Who would they end up playing in that game? A familiar opponent, the Rhode Island College Anchormen. [1] According to Beacons Athletics, this was the same team they beat to win the championship last year, and the Anchormen certainly wanted revenge. [4]
Just like their game against the Corsairs, the Beacons took care of business against the Anchormen earlier in the season with a 7–2 win. The Anchormen could not capitalize on their opportunity to dethrone the Beacons as they, too, got swept. According to Beacons Athletics, the same pairings of Chan and Patel, Stuppard and Albano, and Carney and Watson found themselves victorious. Carney and Watson even shut out their opposing duo, winning 8–0. [5]
It was Watson and Chan who sealed the deal for the Beacons, winning their singles and completing the 5–0 sweep. Just like that, the Beacons were champions once again with an even more impressive tournament run than last year. The Beacons did not drop a single set the entire tournament, as they hardly did all season. [5]
All the hard work the Beacons put in throughout the season has finally paid off, and not only was that recognized with their LEC tournament championship, but as reported by Beacons Athletics, there were also plenty of individual awards to go around. Patel’s first year on the team was one for the ages. Her absurd dominance for a freshman was recognized with spots on the All-LEC First Singles Team and All-LEC First Doubles Team. [6].
Patel was also named LEC Rookie of the Year and even took home LEC Player of the Year. There is no doubt about it, the Beacons have a superstar in the making. Patel finished the season with a 17–2 overall record and looks to be one of the centerpieces for the future of this team. Chan was also awarded All-LEC Singles and Doubles Teams selections, pairing her with Patel on the Doubles Team. [6]
The All-LEC Singles Second Team featured two more Beacons, Stuppard and Carney. Stuppard was also selected to the All-LEC Doubles Second Team alongside her partner in crime, Albano. [6] They finished the year 11–2 as a pair, rightfully earning their selection. [5] Lastly, Coach Jovan Jordan-Whitter was named LEC Coach of the Year. He could not have done a better job in his debut season, allowing an already incredible team to evolve into an even better one. [6]
It was a season filled with highs for the Beacons. Now that they’ve conquered their conference, they’ve earned themselves a spot in the NCAA Divison III Tournament in the spring. [5] Their opponent at the time is unknown, but as they await that announcement, they can celebrate their incredible run. Congratulations to UMass Boston’s Women’s Tennis program on completing another historical season; one that could not have concluded any other way.
Sources –
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/schedule/2023-24
- https://corsairathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/schedule
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/stats/2023-24/umass-dartmouth/boxscore/11637
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/womens-tennis/schedule/2022-23
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2023/10/22/untitled-story.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2023/10/24/womens-tennis-patels-individual-honors-headline-end-of-season-awards-for-beacons.aspx