ECU Edges Elon, Sweeps N.C. Central

Feb. 21, 2008

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina overcame an early doubles loss and faced eight separate match point serves in singles play before rebounding to post a 4-3 non-conference women's tennis victory over Elon in the opening match of a split doubleheader Thursday at the ECU Tennis Complex. The Lady Pirates completed the twinbill sweep by blanking North Carolina Central 7-0 in the nightcap.

The pair of victories extended ECU' season-opening win streak to seven straight while the Phoenix and Eagles fell to 5-4 and 1-6, respectively.

In the opener, Elon jumped out to an early 1-0 team advantage with a pair of doubles victories. Despite an 8-3 win by Hannah Priest and Varinia Soler over Whitney Butcher and Paige Kensrue at the No. 2 position, the Phoenix clinched the point by taking the No. 1 and No. 3 matchups - using similar 8-3 triumphs by tandems Deanna Bailey/Anna Milian and Jenn Tucci/Hayley Wahl against Alex Smith/Brooke Walter and Jessica Cook/Tamara Sachs.

East Carolina and Elon each opened singles play by matching two-set wins. The Lady Pirates' Luiza Borges handed Laura Graybill a 6-2, 6-1 setback at No. 5 and Sachs defeated Wahl 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6 to account for ECU's victories while the Phoenix used Bailey's 6-4, 6-3 decision over Cook at No. 1 and Milian's 6-3, 6-2 win over Mireia Gol at No. 3 to hold a 3-2 edge with two matches remaining.

Walter and Soler were both down in their matches at the No. 4 and No. 2 slots, facing a combined eight match point serves but rallied back to secure the win for East Carolina. After splitting their first two sets (6-3, 4-6), Tucci took a 5-4 lead in the third set but Walter fought back from six match point tries to claim a 7-5 victory. After falling 6-3 in the opening set to Kensrue, Soler battled back from a 6-5 deficit and survived two match points in the second set before notching 7-6 and 6-3 triumphs to clinch the team victory for the Lady Pirates.

In the nightcap, East Carolina dropped just two points in outscoring North Carolina Central 24-2 in three doubles matches before taking all six singles battles in straight sets. Borges (No. 1), Sachs (No. 2), Priest (No. 3), Smith (No. 4), Zandy Overcash (No. 5) and Kristin Gordon (No. 6) each notched singles victories.

The Lady Pirates will close out its seven-match homestand Saturday when they host Campbell (11 a.m.) and Mount Olive (4 p.m.) in another non-conference split doubleheader.

EAST CAROLINA 4, ELON 3
Singles Play
No. 1 -Deanna Bailey (ELON) def. Jessica Cook (ECU); 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 - Varinia Soler (ECU) def. Paige Kensrue (ELON); 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
No. 3 - Anna Milian (ELON) def. Mireia Gol (ECU); 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 - Brooke Walter (ECU) def. Jenn Tucci (ELON); 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
No. 5 - Luiza Borges (ECU) def. Laura Graybill (ELON); 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 - Tamara Sachs (ECU) def. Hayley Wahl (ELON); 6-3, 6-1
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Bailey/Milian (ELON) def. Alex Smith/Walter (ECU); 8-3
No. 2 - Hannah Priest/Soler (ECU) def. Whitney Butcher/Kensrue (ELON); 8-3
No. 3 - Tucci/Wahl (ELON) def. Cook/Sachs (ECU); 8-3
Team Records: East Carolina 6-0, Elon 5-4

EAST CAROLINA 7, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 0
Singles Play
No. 1 - Luiza Borges (ECU) def. Ashley Rogers (NCCU); 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - Tamara Sachs (ECU) def. Tatiana Velasquez (NCCU); 6-3, 6-0
No. 3 - Hannah Priest (ECU) def. Stephanie Lee (NCCU); 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 - Alex Smith (ECU) def. Ambra Mason (NCCU); 6-0, 6-0
No. 5 - Zandy Overcash (ECU) def. Antionette Spain (NCCU); 6-0, 6-1
No. 6 - Kristin Gordon (ECU) def. Comesha Hickman (NCCU); 6-0, 6-2
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Mireia Gol/Priest (ECU) def. Rogers/Velasquez (NCCU); 8-0
No. 2 - Gordon/Overcash (ECU) def. Hickman/Lee (NCCU); 8-1
No. 3 - Borges/Sheelah Iyengar (ECU) def. Mason/Spain (NCCU); 8-1
Team Records: North Carolina Central 1-6, East Carolina 7-0

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