PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Sophomore Ashley Owens (Penn Yan, N.Y.) earned her team's lone point Tuesday afternoon as the visiting University of Southern Maine women's tennis team fell to Plymouth State University, 8-1, in a Little East Conference match held at the Holderness School.

            Owens posted a decisive 6-1, 6-0 win over PSU rookie Kerstin Venincasa (Sutton, Mass.) in their #3 singles match to give USM its lone point.

            PSU freshman Maggie McCarthy (Marion, Mass./Carver) and junior Irene Kigugu (Concord, N.H.) combined to earn three points for the Panthers.  The duo combined for an 8-1 win over Owens and junior Courtney Jordan (Portland, Maine/Westbrook) in the #1 doubles match, then returned to post straight set wins at #1 and #2 singles respectively.

            The Panthers also got wins at #2 and #3 doubles from the combinations of junior Megan Wheeler (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central) and sophomore Alex Dunn (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant), and freshmen Jenna Sundquist (Monument Beach, Mass./Bourne) and Chloe Knapp (Jamestown, N.Y.) to take a 3-0 lead in the match.  Sundquist, Knapp and Wheeler also had wins in singles play.

            With the loss, the Huskies fell to 2-5 overall and remain winless in conference play.  The Panthers improved to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in LEC matches.

            Southern Maine is back in action on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) hosting Worcester State University in an LEC match at the Gorham High School courts.  Plymouth State will host the University of Massachusetts Boston on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) at the Holderness School.

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