UMass Dartmouth Slips Past Women's Tennis

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's tennis team rallied from a 4-3 deficit to edge Wentworth Institute of Technology, 5-4, in non-league action.

The Corsairs open their season with a victory while the Leopards slip to 1-6.

With the Corsairs trailing 4-3, freshman Kheyla Orival (Woburn, Mass.) and sophomore Jillian Reichert (Marion, Mass.), won the final two matches to earn UMD the victory. Orival defeated freshman Emily Jodoin (Burrillville, R.I.) 6-4, 6-3 to knot the match, 4-4. Reichert closed out the victory with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) win over junior Nicole Mooney (Waterford, Conn.). Reichert had served for the match at 5-4, and needed to hold serve at 5-6 to force the tie-breaker.

UMD held a 2-1 advantage after the doubles matches. Casey Auman (Dartmouth, Mass.) and Reichert defeated junior Nicole McColgan (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Jodoin 8-2 at No. 2 doubles, while junior Kristen Rose (North Dartmouth, Mass.) teamed with Orival for an 8-5 victory over Mooney and junior Laura Boyd (Woodstock, Vt.) at No. 3 doubles. The Leopards took No. 1 doubles, with Junior Caitlin Corcoran (Brockton, Mass.) and freshman Caitlyn Briggs (Lee, Mass.) defeating junior Maggie LeBrun (Mattapoisett, Mass.) and freshman Mollie McCaffrey, 8-3.

Briggs tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over McCaffrey at No. 3 singles. The Corsairs momentarily went back on top when Rose defeated Boyd 6-0, 6-1.

Wentworth regained the lead, 4-3, on the strength of a pair of first-set tie-breaker victories at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Corcoran went on to beat LeBrun 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 at No. 1 and McColgan defeated freshman Kerry Magoon (Marshfield, MA) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. The lead would hold until Orrival tied the match and Reichert completed the comeback.

The Leopards resume Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Wednesday when they host Curry.