Junior Lauren Macera (Cranston) picked up a shutout win (6-0, 6-0) at No. 2 singles as the Rhode Island College women’s tennis team opened up the 2022 season with an 8-1 victory at Salve Regina on Saturday afternoon. 

RIC swept all three doubles matches to build an early, 3-0, lead. Macera and senior Jenna Lisi (Cranston) won, 8-3, at No. 1 doubles.

The visitors took five of six in singles action to seal the win. Lisi was dominant at No. 1 singles, losing only one game (6-1, 6-0) in the sweep.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will play at Clark on Thursday, Sept. 8 (4:30 p.m.).

Rhode Island College has been picked to finish first in the 2022 Little East Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches’ Poll. It is the sixth consecutive season that the Anchorwomen have been picked to be the LEC’s top team.

The five-time defending LEC champions totaled 60 points and four first place votes.

“We’re all really excited to get started and compete in a strong Little East Conference this fall,” RIC Head Coach Adam Spring said.

The Anchorwomen return eight student-athletes to the court in 2022, six of whom garnered All-LEC honors last fall.

Senior Lisi (Cranston) returns as the squad’s top singles and doubles player. Lisi received the USTA’s Jill Craybas Award, signifying her as the top collegiate women’s tennis player from Rhode Island, for the third straight season last year. She was also the Little East’s Player of the Year and earned First Team All-LEC honors in both singles and doubles.

Classmate Serena Bobola (Cranston) was a First Team All-LEC selection in singles and was Second Team All-LEC doubles.

UMass Boston was voted second with 56 points and garnered four first place votes, while 2021 LEC runner-up Bridgewater State University was voted third with 54 points and the remaining first place tally. The Beacons are in search of their first conference title, while the Bears look secure the league crown for the first time since 2016.

The rest of the projected six-team LEC Championship Tournament field includes Plymouth State University (47 points), UMass Dartmouth (37 points) and Salem State University (24 points). The complete preseason poll is as follows.