After slow start, UMass Dartmouth wins six out of nine matches to post 6-8 overall record for 2000 season

(Dartmouth, MA) - UMass Dartmouth's women's tennis team got off to a slow start at the beginning of the 2000 season, dropping its first four matches of the season.

But starting with a 5-4 victory over Western Connecticut State University on Sept. 23, Coach Ralph Perry's Corsairs won six of their next nine matches on the way to a 6-8 overall record. After getting by Western Connecticut, the Corsairs scored victories over Eastern Nazarene, Bridgewater State, Salem State, Newbury College and Worcester State. The Corsairs also placed fifth in the annual Little East Conference Tournament.

On the singles side, UMass Dartmouth had two players finish the season with six victories each and one with five. Sophomore Coryne Preston (N. Attleboro, MA) finished the season with a record of 6-7, while first-year teammate Erin Peters (Charlton, MA) posted a 6-8 mark. Preston led the team with a total of 120 games won and 12 set victories. Peters was second in games won with 97 and tied with Preston with 12 set victories.

Junior Sarah Clapp (Norfolk, MA) had a record of 5-9 in singles with 96 game victories, one behind Peters in third place on the team Junior co-captain Dana Feinstein (Franklin, MA) (4-7), first-year player Dena Haden (Sagamore Beach, MA) (4-6) and first-year player Michaela O'Connell (Harrisville, MA) (4-1) tied for third in wins with four each. Overall, the Corsairs finished the 2000 season with a 33-50 record in singles play.

The Corsairs had three doubles combinations finish with three victories each. The team of Haden and Peters finished the season with a perfect 3-0 mark. Clapp and Haden teamed up for a 3-2 mark as did Feinstein and Preston. UMass Dartmouth doubles teams finished the year with a 16-23 record.

The 2000 season gave a very young Corsair tennis team some valuable on court experience. From a roster of 10 players at season's end, UMass Dartmouth did not lose one player to graduation. The Corsairs had three juniors, Clapp, junior co-captain Isabelle Eiff (Longmeadow, MA) and Feinstein, along with sophomores Heather Guertin (Holden, MA), Preston and Melissa Walsh (Watertown, MA). Four first-year players were part of the roster, including Caitlin Boucher (Brookfield, MA), Haden, O'Connell and Peters.