On a bright, sunny, unusually warm Saturday, Oct. 8 a clash of two Little East Conference titans ended in a dominating 9-0 win for Salem State. The Rhode Island College women’s tennis team (1-6 LEC) took on Salem State University (6-0 LEC) in a doubles and singles matchup on the home field for the Anchorwomen. In the doubles match, RIC’s number one doubles team of senior Gabriela Batek and freshman Chelsea Brown took on Salem State’s dynamic duo junior Michelle McEwen and senior Lauren Turenne. RIC dropped the match 8-0. The number two doubles match featured RIC junior Doris Belnager and freshman Gianna Vallante battling Salem State’s senior Carly Muniz and sophomore Melissa Govertsen. RIC dropped the match in a heartbreaking 8-5 loss. The number three doubles match featured RIC freshmen Taylor Clark and Amanda Ferri against Salem State senior Patty Quartavaro and junior Anna Yaskell. RIC dropped the match 8-1.
The Anchorwomen didn’t fare any better in singles play. The number one singles match featured a hard fought, one-hour match between Brown and McEwen that McEwen eventually won (7-5, 6-1) . The number two singles match featured Batek against Tuvenne. Batek dropped the match in a 6-0, 6-0. The number three singles match proved to be another epic battle lasting nearly forty five minutes before Belanger fell 6-0, 6-0. In the number four singles match, Vallante fell 6-1 and 6-2 to Muniz. In the number five singles match, Clark was shut out 6-0, 6-0 by Govertsen. Salem State junior Jessica Spinale did not lose a game at number six singles over Ferri.
The Anchorwomen will be back in action when they continue Little East Conference play at Southern Maine on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
