LEICESTER, Mass. – Cross-town rivals met on the tennis court Tuesday afternoon with visiting Worcester State University women's tennis topping the host Becker College. The Lancers defeated the Hawks, 9-0.

Worcester State won its first match of the season to improve to 1-1, while Becker dropped to 1-3.

The Lancers took an early 3-0 lead by winning all three doubles matches. At number one doubles, the BC team of senior Livia Smith (Worcester, Mass.) and junior Jennifer Lord (Fall River, Mass.) battled to within 4-3 of WSU's Megan Shepard and Shelby Jenkins before dropping the set, 8-3.

Worcester State was in control of the first sets of all six singles matches and despite dropping all second sets, Becker was close to pushing several matches to a third set. At number four singles, freshman Jessica Leger (Auburn, Mass.) tied the second set 5-5 with Cassandra Conclaves before dropping the match 6-1, 7-5.

Sophomore Dana Mahan (Manville, R.I.) tied her number five singles match at 5-5, but loss 6-0, 7-5 to Rachel Green. Smith evened her number three singles bout with Nathalie Khafaga before dropping the match 6-1, 6-4.  

The Hawks finish a three-match home stand on Saturday (September 12) when they open New England Collegiate Conference play against Bay Path at 1:00 p.m. WSU takes on MCLA on Friday at 3:30 p.m.