BRISTOL, R.I. – With the score tied at 4-4 in the final singles match of the day, Endicott freshman Reilly Fitzgibbons (Killingworth, Conn.) rallied past her opponent after dropping the first set of the match to lift the Gulls to a 5-4 victory over conference foe Roger Williams University on Saturday afternoon.
Fitzgibbons defeated Roger Williams' senior Lauren Schmidt (South Windsor, Conn.) in a hard-fought match at the No. 3 position by a 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 score to extend Endicott's unbeaten streak in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular season play to 12 straight matches.
The Gulls held a 2-1 advantage after doubles as the Gulls received victories at No. 1 and No. 2.
Freshmen Margot Andreasen (Portland, Maine) and Hayley Barnett (Marlboro, N.J.) posted an 8-4 triumph in the No. 2 slot, while sophomore Maxine Bergstein (Hingham, Mass.) and junior Mackenzie Rhodes (Rye, N.H.) worked their way through a 9-8 (7-3) win at No. 1.
After Barnett downed Hawks' sophomore Kathryn Hughes (Westford, Mass.) by a 6-1, 6-3 score at No. 2 singles, Roger Williams won the next two matches to even the score at 3-3.
Bergstein responded for the Gulls at No. 6 with a comeback victory over sophomore Gabrielle Riley (Barnstable, Mass.) by a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 decision, but Roger Williams bounced back once more this time from the No. 5 slot as sophomore Ali Stankiewicz (Brunswick, Maine) completed a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win to make it 4-4.
Fitzgibbons had the final say for the Gulls on the afternoon, however, as the freshman came up big with her 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 win to close out the contest.
TOP QUOTE
"That was the definition of a 'team victory' out there today," said Endicott women's tennis head coach Jeremy Howard. "We played with heart and grinded for almost five hours. This was a terrific road victory against a talented Roger Williams team."
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Today's match was the longest of the season at five hours (approx.).
- Endicott has now won eight straight matches against Roger Williams dating back to the 2011 season.
- The Gulls last loss against Roger Williams was a 6-2 decision on Saturday, October 2 in 2010.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (3-1, 2-0 CCC) hosts Salve Regina University on Tuesday, September 15 at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday's match was originally scheduled for September 10 but was postponed due to inclement weather. Roger Williams (3-1, 2-1 CCC) travels to Suffolk University on Monday for a non-conference matchup at 6 p.m. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
