Rodgers pulls out decisive match at fifth singles

RINDGE, N.H. (October 11, 2012) – Sophomore Leslie Rodgers (Westminster, Md.) picked up a 6-3, 7-5 win at fifth singles on Thursday afternoon to finish off a 5-4 home win for the Franklin Pierce University tennis team over Plymouth State in non-conference play. Earlier in the day, Rodgers had teamed with sophomore Christine Boulanger (East Hampton, Conn.) to pick up a 9-7 win at third doubles.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 1-5 (0-5 Northeast-10), while Plymouth State falls to 6-6 (4-3 Little East). The win is the first for first-year Head Coach Marty Morrissey with the Ravens women's team.

Franklin Pierce held a 4-3 lead with only fifth and sixth singles still in action. At sixth singles, Plymouth State sophomore Rosalie DiRado dispatched Boulanger, 6-2, 6-1, to even the match at 4-4. That left just Rodgers in play for the Ravens, and she was up one set to none after posting a 6-3 win over junior Chelsea Thibeault in the first set. Thibeault attempted to mount a comeback, as the second set stayed even all the way to 5-5. From there, Rodgers would pick up the final two games to smother the comeback attempt and win the match, 6-3, 7-5.

The Ravens also earned points at first and fourth singles on the afternoon, as the two teams split the six available singles points. At first singles, junior Natasha McCarthy (Rindge, N.H.) bettered senior Sara Burke, 6-3, 6-2. Meanwhile, at fourth singles, freshman Aubrey Lovejoy (Holden, Mass.) breezed to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over junior Jane Duggan.

The split was all Franklin Pierce needed to take home the match after winning two of the three doubles matches to start the afternoon. Along with the win by Rodgers and Boulanger at third doubles, Lovejoy and senior Melissa Cohen (Queens, N.Y.) notched an 8-4 win over Duggan and freshman Andra Dion at second doubles.

Freshman Nitsa Ioannides led a Panther attack that came up just shy on the afternoon. After teaming with Burke for an 8-3 win at first doubles, Ioannides posted a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles, as she figured in on two of Plymouth State's four points.

The Ravens return to the court on Sunday, Oct. 11, when they remain home to host Saint Rose in a Northeast-10 Conference match at 1 p.m.

Results
Doubles
1. Sara Burke/Nitsa Ioannides (PLY) def. Natasha McCarthy/Kirby Melbourne (FPU), 8-3
2. Melissa Cohen/Aubrey Lovejoy (FPU) def. Andra Dion/Jane Duggan (PLY), 8-4
3. Leslie Rodgers/Christine Boulanger (FPU) def. Chelsea Thibeault/Peyton Smith (PLY), 9-7

Singles
1. Natasha McCarthy (FPU) def. Sara Burke (PLY), 6-3, 6-2
2. Nitsa Ioannides (PLY) def. Kirby Melbourne (FPU), 6-4, 6-4
3. Andra Dion (PLY) def. Melissa Cohen (FPU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Aubrey Lovejoy (FPU) def. Jane Duggan (PLY), 6-1, 6-0
5. Leslie Rodgers (FPU) def. Chelsea Thibeault (PLY), 6-3, 7-5
6. Rosalie DiRado (PLY) def. Christine Boulanger (FPU), 6-2, 6-1

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce tennis apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).