East Carolina University
UNCW Invitational
ECU Women's Tennis Completes UNCW Beach Blast
September 14, 2014 | Women's Tennis
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Playing in its first fall tournament of the 2014-15 season, the East Carolina women's tennis team concluded play at the UNC Wilmington Beach Blast on Sunday afternoon.
After the schedule was altered due to inclement weather Friday afternoon, the Pirates began competition with doubles play Saturday morning against duos from both Georgia and Virginia Tech. The freshman tandem comprising Sara Sarjoo and Maria Gomez collected ECU's first victory when they dispatched the Hokies' Frances Peyton and Mariana Silva by a score of 8-3.
East Carolina met perennial national power Georgia in singles play later in the day, but were only able to pick up one victory when junior Nicole LaDuca recorded a 3-2 win after her opponent was forced to retire to due injury.
On Sunday, the Pirates once again began the day with a series of doubles matches versus host UNC Wilmington. Sarjoo and Gomez collected their second victory of the weekend when they took down Alex Theodossiou and Christin Kaupper, 8-5. LaDuca and sophomore Michelle Castro were outlasted, 8-7 (4), in a hard-fought battle by Christine Kharkevich and Annika Sillanpaa, as ECU's other two doubles teams are also unable to notch victories.
East Carolina finished the weekend strong by taking three out of five singles bouts against Virginia Tech. Castro defeated Kelly Williford, 6-3, 7-6 (3), LaDuca downed Katherine Butler, 7-6, 6-4, and Sarjoo collected a third-set tiebreak win over Silva, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 1-0 (10-5).
The singles wins by Sarjoo and Castro were the first of their collegiate careers.
Select players will await invitations to the ITA All-American Championships, which will be held Sept. 27-29 in Pacific Palisades, Calif., while the Pirates will next play Oct. 3-5 at the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem.
Saturday, September 13
Doubles
Garcia/Gould (Georgia) def. LaDuca/Castro, 8-2
Patterson/Brinson (Georgia) def. Gray/Storozheva, 8-3
Cerezo-Codina/Williford (VT) def. LaDuca/Castro, 8-4
Butler/Nandakumar (VT) def. Gray/Storozheva, 8-4
Sarjoo/Gomez def. Peyton/Silva (VT), 8-3
Singles
Garcia (Georgia) def. Castro, 6-3, 6-2
Gould (Georgia) def. Hoch, 6-2, 6-1
Brinson (Georgia) def. Zurawel, 6-2, 6-1
LaDuca def. Patterson (Georgia), 3-2 (Retired)
King (Georgia) def. Sarjoo, 6-4, 6-1
Sunday, September 14
Doubles
Sillanpaa/Kharkevitch (UNCW) def. LaDuca/Castro, 8-7(4)
Hales/Ritchie (UNCW) def. Gray/Storozheva, 8-5
Sarjoo/Gomez def. Thedossiou/Kaupper (UNCW), 8-5
Lovett/Champion (UNCW) def. Hoch/Zurawel, 8-6
Singles
Castro def. Williford (VT), 6-3, 7-6(3)
Cerezo-Codina (VT) def. Hoch, 6-4, 6-1
Nandakumar (VT) def. Zurawel, 6-2, 6-1
LaDuca def. Butler (VT), 7-6, 6-4
Sarjoo def. Silva (VT), 4-6, 7-6(5), 1-0 (10-5)
