Women’s Tennis Prevails Over USJ, 5-4

WESTON, Mass. - In a crucial match that will help determine seeding for the upcoming Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Tennis Tournament, Regis College picked up key victories in both doubles and singles to defeat University of Saint Joseph, 5-4, Friday evening at the Regis Tennis Courts.

The Pride struck first as the number one doubles team of Kiana Thompson (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and Stephanie Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) picked up an 8-2 victory. After the Blue Jays tied the score with an 8-4 win at number three doubles, Harmony Lopez (Carlsbad, N.M.) and Sophi Machado (Hopedale, Mass.) battled to a tiebreaker at number two doubles and pulled out the 9-7 tiebreaker decision for an 8-7 victory.

Thompson cruised to a straight set victory at number one singles (6-0, 6-0), but the Blue Jays would earn singles victories at the fifth and sixth positions to tie the match at 3-3. Lopez would collect a straight set win at number three singles (7-5, 6-0), and then Machado clinched the overall contest for the Pride with a straight set victory at number four singles (7-5, 6-2).

At number two singles, Beatrice won the first set, but could not maintain the momentum as USJ's Liliana Garcia rallied for a three-set victory (0-6, 6-4, 6-2). Before the start of doubles, Beatrice was honored in a short Senior Day presentation.

Both Regis College (5-3, 2-2 GNAC) and USJ (3-7, 2-2 GNAC) will await the finalization of the bracket for the 2023 GNAC Women's Tennis Tournament, which will take place after the match between Colby-Sawyer and Simmons Sunday, Oct. 8. The tournament is scheduled to begin with the semifinals next Saturday, Oct. 14, followed by the championship match hosted by the highest remaining seed Saturday, Oct. 21.