Pirates Wrap Up Competition At ITA Regionals

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After nearly three weeks without a match, the ECU women's tennis team started the final stretch of the fall season with the ITA Carolina Regional Championships, hosted by North Carolina.

ECU started the tournament with a pair of wins in the qualifying draw. Nastja Rettich opened the tournament with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over Clemson's Laura Marti, while Alisa Diercksen knocked off Wake Forest's Joanna Zalewski 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Needing one more win to reach the main draw, Diercksen cruised past Elon's Uma Nayar 6-4, 6-1 to book her spot. Unfortunately, Rettich fell short, dropping a 6-4, 6-3 decision to App State's Jeannez Daniel.

Joining Diercksen in the main singles draw was Lisa Hofbauer, but neither Pirate could get past their ranked opponents. Diercksen drew UNC's 19th-ranked Alle Sanford and fell 6-2, 6-4, while Hofbauer dropped a 7-6 (1), 6-1 match against Wake Forest's 88th-ranked Eliza Omirou.

After the quick exit from the main draw, both Diercksen and Hofbauer regrouped in the consolation bracket. Diercksen won her third match of the weekend by beating Wake Forest's Mary Carolina Meredith 6-2, 6-4. Hofbauer opened her consolation run with a 6-3, 6-3 win over App State's Teodora Sevo.

In the consolation round of 16, Diercksen's tournament came to an end when she fell to Davidson's Megan Scholvinck 6-3, 6-3. But Hofbauer continued to advance, beating Charlotte's Alexandra Lee to reach the quarterfinals.

Hofbauer matched up with Clemson's Fernanda Navarro in the quarterfinals. After Hofbauer won the first set on a tiebreaker, Navarro answered with a dominant second set to force a tiebreaker. With the match on the line, Hofbauer did enough to win the third-set tiebreaker and advance.

ECU's tournament came to an end in the semifinals, when Hofbauer fell to North Carolina's 82nd-ranked Chloe Ouellett-Pizer 6-2, 6-1. For the weekend, the Pirates finished with a 7-5 singles record.

In doubles, Diercksen and Rettich drew a bye into the round of 32. There, they battled Wake Forest's Anna Ulyashchenko and Mary Caroline Meredith, falling 8-5.

ECU is back in action this weekend with the team splitting between a pair of tournaments. The Pirates will be playing at both the Coastal Carolina Invitational and the Robert Allison Fall Classic, which is hosted by the University of Alabama. Both tournaments start on Friday, Oct. 26.

Singles Results
Qualifying First Round
Alisa Diercksen (ECU) def. Joanna Zalewski (Wake Forest) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
Nastja Rettich (ECU) def. Laura Marti (Clemson) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1

Qualifying Second Round
Alisa Diercksen (ECU) def. Uma Nayar (Elon) 6-4, 6-1
Jeannez Daniel (App State) def. Nastja Rettich (ECU) 6-4, 6-3

Main Draw First Round
No. 19 Alle Sanford (UNC) def. Alisa Diercksen (ECU) 6-2, 6-4
No. 88 Eliza Omirou (Wake Forest) def. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) 7-6 (1), 6-1

Consolation Round of 32
Alisa Diercksen (ECU) def. Mary Caroline Meredith (Wake Forest) 6-2, 6-4
Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Teodora Sevo (App State) 6-3, 6-3

Consolation Round of 16
Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Alexandra Lee (Charlotte) 6-2, 6-3
Megan Scholvinck (Davidson) def. Alisa Diercksen (ECU) 6-3, 6-3

Consolation Quarterfinals
Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Fernanda Navarro (Clemson) 7-6 (5), 1-6, 1-0 (5)

Consolation Semifinals
No. 82 Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles Results
Round of 32
Anna Ulyashchenko/Mary Caroline Meredith (Wake Forest) def. Alisa Diercksen/Nastja Rettich (ECU) 8-5

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Players Mentioned

Alisa Diercksen

Lisa Hofbauer

Nastja Rettich

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