BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Wendy Steinman's (Dudley, Mass.) win at number six singles proved to be the difference as the University of Massachusetts Boston women's tennis team snapped a two-match losing streak with a 5-4 win over Wentworth in a non-league match played at the Sportsmen's Tennis Club.
The Beacons took a 1-0 lead after an 8-2 win by sophomore Anita Kloczewiak (Newton, Mass.) and freshman Destinee Ringler (Scituate, Mass.) over sophomore Natalya Cappellini (Falmouth, Mass.) and junior Joanna Gustafson (Ashburnham, Mass.) at number one doubles. Wentworth evened the match at 1-all when freshman Deborah Massaro (Stony Point, N.Y.) teamed with sophomore Jillian Flynn (Billerica, Mass.) to defeat freshman Samantha Counts (Bridgewater, Mass.) and sophomore Hieu Nguyen (Dorchester, Mass.), 8-1, at number three doubles. UMass Boston closed out doubles play with an 8-2 win at number two doubles when senior Brittany Engel (Freehold, N.J.) teamed with classmate MaKenna Hughes (Yarmouthport, Mass.) to defeat senior Meredith Gratton (West Chazy, N.Y.) and sophomore Sophie Boyce (South Portland, Maine).
Kloczewiak would defeat Cappellini, 6-0, 6-2, at number one singles before Ringler used a 6-0, 7-5 win over Gustafson at number two singles to give the Beacons a 4-1 lead. Steinman would clinch the match for UMass Boston with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Boyce.
Gratton dropped the first set, 3-6, to Engel at number three singles before winning the second set, 6-2, and taking the tiebreaker, 10-6, while Massaro made it a 5-3 match with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Hughes. Flynn defeated Counts, 7-5, 6-3, at number five singles to close out the match.
With the win, UMass Boston improves to 5-2 on the season at hosts Bridgewater State on Saturday in a Little East Conference matchup. That same day, Wentworth (1-7) hosts Roger Williams in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference match.