Plymouth State Women’s Tennis Eliminates Worcester State from Little East Conference Tournament

HOLDERNESS, N.H. – After facing each other just three days ago, the Worcester State Lancers once again palyed the Plymouth State Panthers Tuesday afternoon in Little East Conference Tournament action.  The third-seeded Panthers defeated sixth-seeded Lancers 5-0 in the quarterfinal matchup at the Holderness School Courts, in turn, eliminating Worcester State from the tournament.

Plymouth state swept three doubles matches to start out the afternoon, from where the Panthers' Jakubas sisters closed out the match with straight-set victories at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.

Zara Jakubas (Califon, N.J.) and freshman Irene Ireme (Concord, N.H.) gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with an 8-1 victory over the Lancers' junior Shelby Jankins (W. Brookfield, Mass.) and senior Megan Shepard (Middletown, Conn.) at No. 1 doubles. Sunny Jakubas (Califon, N.J.) and junior Rachel Gustafson (Belchertown, Mass.) won at No. 2 doubles a short while later, defeating Worcester State's sophomores Nathalie Khafaga (Auburn, Mass.) and Rachel Green (Worcester, Mass.) 8-4.  Freshman Kelley Corson (Exeter, N.H.) and senior Peyton Smith (Stuttgart, Germany) completed the doubles sweep for Plymouth State, winning in the No. 3 slot, 8-3, against the Lancers' senior Cassandra Goncalves (Ludlow, Mass.) and sophomore Olivia Budney (Webster, Mass.).

S. Jakubas won her singles match over Shepard 6-0 and 6-2, and Z. Jakubas closed out the team decision with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Jankins.

The Lancers conclude their 2015 season with a 5-10 record (3-5 LEC). Key wins throughout the season included four sweeps over Becker College, Southern Maine, Salem State, and Western Connecticut State, along with a 7-2 win over MCLA in early September.

"I'm extremely happy with how our season played out," said head coach Courteney Blais. "The team's competitiveness and positive attitudes were the fuel that kept this team going all season long."

Individually this season, Shepard broke the all-time points record in Worcester State's sweep over Salem State. She concludes her career at Worcester State holding 60 total wins.

 "The girls pushed themselves to do their best every time they stepped on the court and I'm proud of them for that," said Blais.

Match Results can be found HERE