GORHAM, Maine - Junior Samantha Harden (Turner, Maine) provided the University of Southern Maine women's tennis team with the decisive fifth point as the Huskies knocked off the visiting Worcester State University Lancers 6-3 in Little East Conference action Tuesday at the Costello Sports Complex field house. The match was moved indoors due to rain.
The win was the second straight for the Huskies and moved them over .500 at 5-4 overall. The Huskies improved to 3-3 in conference play. The Lancers slipped to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
Harden combined with junior Denae Walton (Plymouth, Minn.) to take the number one doubles match over sophomores Dominique Alves (Ludlow, Mass.) and Monika Mularski (Auburn, Mass.) in a tiebreaker 9-8 (4). Harden came back out to win in straight sets over Mularski at number two singles to give the Huskies the deciding point.
Sophomore Elise Harvey (Newton Abbot, United Kingdom) and senior Margaret Smith (Farmingdale, Maine/Gardiner Area) teamed up for an 8-5 win over rookies Elizabeth Strycharz (Blackstone, Mass.) and Emily Hamparian (Belchertown, Mass.) at number three doubles. Harvey later won her singles match in straight sets at number five over rookie Emily Costa (Dudley, Mass.).
Also earning points for the Huskies were junior Ashley Owens (Penn Yan, N.Y.) and senior Joanna Scheidegger (Lyss, Switzerland). Owens took a straight-sets win over sophomore Emma Collings (Marion, Mass./Old Rochester Regional) in the number four singles match. Scheidegger won a second-set tiebreaker for a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over sophomore Victoria Konicki (Auburn, Mass.) at number six.
Alves and rookie Charlotte Mullane (Sterling, Mass.) earned points for the Lancers with wins at number one and number three singles respectively. Mullane teamed with Collings for an 8-1 win at number two doubles.
Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (10:30 a.m.) for Senior Day against visiting Western Connecticut State University. Worcester State plays Western Connecticut at home on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
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Release courtesy of Southern Maine Sports Information.