Worcester, MA --- Paced by seniors Brooke Michanczyk (Middletown, CT) and Laura Sarkis (W. Springfield, MA), Worcester State posted a 7-2 triumph over Salem State in Little East Conference women's tennis action at the Corash Tennis Courts.
The win snaps an eight game regular season drought against Salem State as it marks the first victory since October 19, 2001. With the win the Lancers improve to 4-3 (2-1 LEC) while the Vikings slip to 1-4 in their first Little East match of the campaign.
Salem State also went 2-0 last season against the Blue and Gold including a 5-0 LEC Tournament victory in the quarterfinals.
Michanczyk and Sarkis teamed up for their fifth victory of the season at third doubles with the 8-4 win to start off the match before sophomore Megan Shepard (Middletown, CT) and freshman Shelby Jankins (W. Brookfield, MA) dispatched second-year April McDermott (Tewksbury, MA) and classmate Katie Razzaboni (Hooksett, NH), 8-5, at second doubles.
The Lancers completed the three-point sweep in pairs play when junior teammates Danielle Candelieri (Chelmsford, MA) and Taylor Tomasetti (Waterford, CT) outlasted junior Lauren Woods (Burlington, MA) and Emily Yanchun (Saugus, MA), 9-8 (7-5).
Jankins, Michanczyk, Sarkis and sophomore Cassandra Goncalves (Ludlow, MA) were all victorious in their respective solo matchups.
It took Jankins a tiebreaker set to defeat Woods, 6-0 and 7-6 (7-2) at second singles and then Michanczyk erased an early 3-0 first-set hole to dispatch sophomore Hillary Gustafson (Belchertown, MA), 6-4 and 6-4 at fourth singles.
Goncalves and Sarkis also needed extra efforts to win at fifth singles (2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) as the sixth seed (7-6 (7-3) and 6-0), respectively.
The lone wins for the Vikings included McDermott who defeated Candelieri, 6-3 and 6-0, at top flight singles and Razzaboni was victorious at third singles over Shepard (6-0 and 6-4).
Worcester State continues their schedule with a 5 PM matchup against Clark University on Thursday. Salem Sate heads to Gorham, ME to take on Southern Maine in an LEC contest on Saturday at 1 o'clock.
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