Lena Tsonis knows how to finish strong. The New Bedford native capped her high school softball career with a Division 3 state championship in 2022 at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech. Now, as a senior at UMass Dartmouth, she's adding another championship to her legacy.

The Corsairs' senior outfielder helped lead her team to the Little East Conference (LEC) championship on May 10, marking the program's second conference title. For Tsonis, it was a poetic ending. "At Voke I ended up winning the state finals as a senior and now as a senior at UMass Dartmouth, winning my conference finals; it's like a full circle moment," said the 22-year-old. "The last years in my high school and college careers, I made it to the top and it meant everything to get that ring."

With the LEC title secured, UMass Dartmouth (30-11) earned its fourth NCAA Division III tournament berth in program history and second in the last four years. The Corsairs will face Stockton University on May 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the opening double-elimination regional round hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Stockton (30-11) enters with an at-large bid, making this the third all-time meeting between the two programs.

Tsonis, who walked onto the team as a freshman nursing student, remembers the Corsairs' last NCAA appearance well. "In my freshman year, we ended up losing the first two games, but it was honestly a great experience to see that level of play and what it takes to be the best in the country." Now, with third-year head coach Rachael Powers at the helm, the Corsairs are riding momentum. "We're on such a high right now as a team and we have so much power, everyone is so excited to be there," Tsonis said. "Obviously our team's goal is to win it all. We want to win this region and go to super regions and get to the next level."

For Tsonis and her fellow seniors, this postseason run is more than just a final chapter—it's a testament to resilience. "It's great that me and my other senior classmates got to start with a win our freshman year and also end it with a win and make it back to the tournament," she said. As the Corsairs prepare for their NCAA opener, one thing is clear: Lena Tsonis has made a habit of going out on top.