QUINCY, Mass. – For the first time since the 2009 season the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's tennis team has earned a trip to the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament. The Leopards, who needed a victory this afternoon to secure the number six seed in the upcoming tournament with a 5-3 win over Eastern Nazarene Wednesday afternoon.
With the win the Leopards improve to 3-9 overall and close out league play with a 3-5 record. The Lions fall to 4-9 (1-7).
Freshman Olivia DeLuca (Dracut, Mass.) and junior Emily Jodoin (Burrillville, R.I.) took an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles over junior Jordan Cressman (Bowmanstown, Pa.) and freshman Veronica Jimenez (Lynn, Mass.). Sophomores Ellen Butts (Brookfield, Mass.) and Veronica Monteiro (North Andover, Mass.) gave Wentworth a 2-0 lead with an 8-3 win over senior Hannah Lariviere (Biddeford, Maine) and senior Julie Sutton (Middletown, Conn.) at No. 3. The Lions picked up a point at No. 1 when sophomore Adele Duval (Redding, Calif.) teamed up with junior Lindsey Steelman (Darlington, Md.) for an 8-5 win over Leopard juniors Caitlyn Briggs (Lee, Mass.) and Sam Webb (Duxbury, Mass.).
Eastern Nazarene tied the match at 2-all when Duval topped Briggs, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1 singles and Wentworth re-gained the lead as Jodoin beat Cressman, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 3. The lead was short-lived, however, as the hosts knotted the match at 3-all after Steelman defeated DeLuca, 7-5, 6-3, at No. 2. No. 5 singles saw Butts defeat Lariviere, 6-2, 6-4, before Webb sent the Leopards into the postseason with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Jimenez at No. 4. The No. 6 singles match between Monteiro and Sutton was not completed due to darkness. Monteiro took the first set, 6-3, and led, 2-0, in the second set.
Wentworth concludes its fall regular season tomorrow against the University of St. Joseph.