The Massachusetts tennis team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2013 fall season, cleanly sweeping Providence 7-0 in its opener on Saturday.

UMass defeated Providence in every match it played, winning all three doubles matches and all seven singles matches to cap off its first of a perfect, sunny fall afternoon.

“It was important for us to get off to a good start,” UMass coach Judy Dixon said. “We had to get over our nerves, the first game of the season is always tough like that.”

Not only were the first-game nerves running high, but there was also 20-year reunion in honor of Dixon’s service to the UMass tennis program.

“There were many alumni in attendance representing both the men’s and women’s programs here at UMass, it was important for us to represent the program well,” Dixon said.

The Minutewomen did just that.

Leading the way for UMass was senior Sonia Bokhari, who defeated Providence senior Maria Clara-Bernardez 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 1 singles match.

Freshman Aarzoo Malik, No.2 singles, and Anna Woosley,,No. 5  singles, both made strong first impressions in their college debut. Malik swept her match 6-4, 6-4 and Woosley also won in straight sets 6-5, 6-2.

“The two freshmen [Malik and Woosley] did amazing,” Dixon said. “They handled their nerves extremely well and proved that they can play against teams with high-caliber talent.”

Senior captain Yuliana Motyl fell 5-6 in the first set of the No. 3 singles match, but showed some resiliency by bouncing back to win the next two sets 6-2 and 11-9.

No. 4 single Jessica Podlofsky and No. 6 single Chanel Glasper each recorded straight set wins to cap off the singles sweep for the Minutewomen.

Dixon lauded the way her team played and was most impressed with the way they handled themselves.

“Providence was a feisty, mentally tough team,” Dixon said. “We had to play with the right mindset and tenacity to win and we did just that.”

Motyl and Malik opened up the doubles portion of the event with an 8-4 No. 1 doubles victory. Bokhari and Woosley took home the No. 2 doubles match with an 8-3 win. Completing the sweep was No. 3 doubles Glasper and Podlofsky, who also won with an 8-3 score.

Despite opening up the season on a high note, Dixon still knows that there is a lot of improvements to be made.

“First we need to improve on handling the pressure better,” Dixon said. “You can only be a competitor if you play well under pressure. Secondly, we need to stay healthy. In our four weeks of practice we have not had one day where our entire team has been 100 percent healthy.”

UMass hosts Connecticut at the Mullins Center Courts on Oct. 9.

Andrew Cyr can be reached at [email protected], and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.