Box score

HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 31, 2013) – Junior Jessica Bourque (Houma, La.) outlasted her opponent in a three-set battle at first singles to give the Stevens Institute of Technology women's tennis team the decisive fifth point over Empire 8 Athletic Conference rival Nazareth College in the season opener on Saturday morning.

Stevens begins the season 1-0 while Nazareth starts 0-1.

The Ducks started off on the right foot as Bourque and senior Lisa Tessitore (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) swept first doubles while juniors Danielle Stewart (North Plainfield, N.J.) and Elena Cocineva-Lenge (Chester, N.J.) matched the feat at second doubles. Nazareth picked up a point at third doubles as freshman Lily Bruenjes (Portland, Maine) and sophomore Arden Servidio (Nutley, N.J.) fell, 8-3.

Stevens carried the 2-1 lead into singles play and quickly built on it with quick first-set victories at #2 and 3. Nazareth followed with early set leads of its own at fifth and sixth singles and went on to close those out, 6-2, 6-1 over Servidio at #5 and 6-1, 6-0 over freshman Jillian Morneau (Beverly, Mass.) at #6 to take the lead at 3-2.

Stewart evened things up with a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles shortly after. The teams matched points at second and fourth singles, with Tessitore taking #2, 6-0, 6-4, and Cocineva-Lenge falling at #4, 6-4, 6-0, leaving just the battle at first singles to decide the match.

Bourque had dropped a tiebreaker, 6-7 (8), for the first set, but came back with a 6-2 win in the second. Another 6-2 win gave Stevens the season-opening victory over last year's #2 seed in the Empire 8 Championship.

Head Coach Steve Gachko and the Ducks will look to carry the momentum into next weekend as they head upstate to take on Empire 8 foes Utica College on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Hartwick College on Sunday, Sept. 8.