WORCESTER, Mass. – The Worcester State University Lancers capture all three doubles points en route to a 5-2 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Little East Conference Women's Tennis Championship Tournament Tuesday night at Clark University's Corash Courts.
With the win, Worcester State avenges a 5-4 regular season loss to the Huskies. Worcester State advances to the semifinals of the championship tournament and improves its overall record to 8-7. The loss ends the Huskies season and completes their 2013 season record at 8-7. Worcester State will face top-seed Bridgewater State on Thursday (2:00 p.m.).
Freshman Shelby Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass./Quabog) and sophomore Megan Shepard (Middletown, Conn.) earned the Lancers first points of the match defeating USM senior Mary Moran (Windham, Maine/Portland) and sophomore Jenna Willey (Windham, Maine) 8-5 at first doubles for a 1-0 Worcester lead.
After nearly a three-hour rain delay, action resumed and the Lancers earned points in second and third doubles in that order. In singles action, Moran netted the Huskies' first point defeating junior Danielle Candelieri (Chelmsford, Mass.) 6-0, 6-1 at first singles. Sophomore Courtney Aldrich (Lewiston, Maine) took a 6-4, 6-4 win over Shepard at third singles to pull USM to within a point, 3-2, but the Lancers won the second and fourth singles flight to clinch the coveted fifth point of the match.
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