COLCHESTER, Vt. (March 14, 2021) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's tennis team became the first Ravens squad to return to Northeast-10 Conference play on Sunday afternoon, and did so in style. Franklin Pierce traveled to Saint Michael's and opened its 2021 campaign with a 7-0 shutout of the homestanding Purple Knights.

With the win, Franklin Pierce opens the season at 1-0 (1-0 NE10), while Saint Michael's falls to 0-1 (0-1 NE10).

The Ravens opened play by dropping just three games while taking all three doubles matches to claim the doubles point. Second doubles wrapped up first, with graduate student Himani Mor (Sonipat, India) and sophomore Liria Loria (La Paz, Bolivia) blanking sophomore Bree Cotroneo and junior Jenny Panergo, 6-0. It was a 6-1 win at second doubles for freshman Zoe Asterio Correa (Toronto, Ontario) and sophomore Jillian Pagliuca (Taunton, Mass.) over sophomore Zoe Rogers and junior Sarah Knickerbocker, while freshman Maria Penalver Aguilo (Las Palmas, Spain) and sophomore Laura Alvarez Tello (Vigo, Spain) chalked up a 6-2 victory at first doubles, over junior Abby Edelmann and freshman Mary Leys.

It would be more of the same in singles play, as Franklin Pierce did not drop a set on the day and lost only six games along the way. Fourth singles went in the books first, as Loria swept away Rogers, 6-0, 6-0. Second singles followed in short order, with Mor rolling to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Cotroneo. The Ravens closed out the victory with a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, as Penalver Aguilo took care of Edelmann.

Franklin Pierce used wins at third, fifth and sixth singles to finish off the shutout. At third singles, Alvarez Tello notched a 6-2, 6-1 win over Leys, while both fifth and sixth singles featured 6-0, 6-0 score lines. At fifth singles, Asterio Correa swept away Panergo, while Pagliuca blanked Knickerbocker at sixth singles.

The Ravens are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, March 17, when they return home to host Stonehill in an NE10 match at 2:30 p.m.