By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's tennis team concluded its regular-season home schedule Friday afternoon with a fifth straight victory.

The Bears scored a 7-0 victory over Western Connecticut State University on Senior Day at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts, improving to 7-4 and 5-1 in the Little East Conference.

BSU is in second place in the conference, trailing Rhode Island College (5-0) with two matches remaining.

The Bears, who finished the regular season 4-4 at home, did not lose a set to the Wolves (3-9, 1-5 Little East).

The match had been postponed on Wednesday due to rain.

The five-game winning streak is the longest for the  Bears since they won six straight from Oct. 6-18, 2022.

The lone senior on the BSU roster, Hannah Higgins (Rockland, Mass.) made her season debut and posted singles and doubles victories. She was honored following the conclusion of the match.

Higgins teammed with junior Samantha Bettencourt (Tiverton, R.I.) for a 6-0 victory over sophomore Ava Ciampi (Wolcott, Conn.) and sophomore Kate Robinson (Brookfield, Conn.) at No. 2 doubles.

Higgins also posted a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles over sophomore Elsie Sabol (Pleasantville, N.Y.).

The Bears' No. 1 doubles team of sophomore Emma Gibney (New Bedford, Mass.) and sophomore Sarah Pothier (Rochester, Mass.) won, 6-2, over junior Erickah Tertulien (Norwalk, Conn.) and senior Aylina Razeq (Danbury, Conn.).

BSU took No. 3 doubles by default.

The Bears prevailed at No. 1 singles with sophomore Aislyn Kelliher (Plymouth, Mass.) defeating Tertulien, 6-2, 6-2, while sophomore Morgan Smith (Taunton, Mass.) was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Ciampi at No. 2 singles.

Sophomore Ava Alves (Taunton, Mass.) defeated Razeq at No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-1, and Bettencourt won over Robinson at No. 4 singles, 6-0, 6-0.

Kelliher and Smith each moved up a spot in the singles ladder for today's match while Alves and Bettencourt both moved up two rungs.

The Bears also won at No. 6 singles by default.

BSU finishes the regular season on the road facing Salem State on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and Plymouth State on Oct. 18.

Western Connecticut State hosts Plymouth State on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Notes: Alves is now 9-1 on the season in singles competition with a perfect 6-0 LEC mark....Smith is 5-0 against LEC opponents....Bettencourt is 6-0 in LIttle East doubles play.