NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University freshman Caroline Rodman (Southington, Conn.) rallied from down a set and forced a deciding third set before Rhode Island College junior Julie Reddy (Smithfield, R.I.) outlasted her for a match-clinching victory at No. 3 singles, giving the visiting Anchorwomen a 5-4 win as darkness settled in at 7:59 p.m.
The late arriving Anchorwomen delayed the start of the match a half hour (scheduled for 3:30 p.m.).
Rhode Island College (1-1) took the early lead with an 8-2 win at second doubles from senior Sadie Campanella (Chepachet, R.I.) and junior Jorgie Martin (Greenville, R.I.).
Salve Regina (0-2) claimed the other two doubles victories with No. 1 pair of junior Emma Gruber (New Canaan, Conn.) and senior Kasey Walther (Natick, Mass.) winning 8-6 over Reddy and Dayna Reilly (Swansea, Mass.). Sophomores Courtney Bailey (No. Dartmouth, Mass.) and Cristina Marsocci (North Scituate, R.I.) gave the Seahawks a 2-1 lead with their 8-5 triumph over Tressa Cannata (Cranston, R.I.) and Laura Nastasi (Smithville, N.J.).
Reilly had the match quickly knotted at 2-2 with her straight-set (6-0,6-0) win at first singles. Seahawk first-year player Abigail Packard (Dudley, Mass.) won her first collegiate match at fifth singles (6-2,6-3) to put Salve Regina ahead again.
Gruber had a late rally in her second set at second singles, but Campanella prevailed to tie the score at 3-3. Fellow senior Cannata posted a straight-set triumph over Bailey at fourth singles and the Anchorwomen had their first lead, 4-3, with two matches remaining.
Senior tri-captain Julie Grant (Warwick, R.I.) made sure the outcome of the team score would come down to the final point after closing out a straight-set victory at fifth singles over Martin, leaving the Reddy-Rodman match to break a 4-4 tie.
"Caroline (Rodman) played outstanding today/tonight," said head coach Cory Tusler. "She dictated the points with her pounding forehand drives to Reddy's backhand corner. Both players competed; Reddy did a nice job of keeping balls in play."
Rodman won the middle set, 6-3, breaking serve in the eighth game before holding at love in the final game of the set. Rodman broke serve at love in the opener of the third set, but Reddy broke right back and held at love to take a 2-1 lead. Rodman went up 40-0 in her next service game before six unforced errors gave Reddy a 3-1 advantage. Reddy held at love in game five to lead 4-1, before Rodman won the next two games.
Visibility was difficult with darkness on Court 3, so the players moved to Court 6 where there was a security spotlight on the changeover.
Reddy's lobs pushed Rodman back to the fence and the Seahawk ran out of room on consecutive points. Trailing 5-3, Rodman broke to force a 10th game in the final set. Reddy capitalized on three unforced errors and her own winner (Rodman reversed an out call) to take the game, set, and match.
Watch the entire match (2:34) including the move to a "lighted" court still in camera view.
Salve Regina opens its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) schedule on Saturday at Eastern Nazarene College (Quincy, Mass.) with a 1 p.m. start. Rhode Island College plays against Wentworth Institute of Technology (11 a.m.) at the Regis College tennis courts in Weston, Mass.
