East Carolina University
University of North Carolina
Gameday: Pirates Travel To No. 3 North Carolina
January 22, 2019 | Women's Tennis
| Match 1: ECU (0-1) at No. 3 North Carolina (2-0) | |
| Date | Wednesday, Jan. 23 |
| Time | 5 p.m. (EST) |
| Location | Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center) |
| Coverage | Watch / Live Stats |
| Social Media | Twitter: @ecuwtennis Instagram: @ecuwtennis Facebook: ECU Pirates Women's Tennis |
GREENVILLE, N.C. – After starting the season with a road match at an ACC foe, the ECU women's tennis team will have an even tougher test when the Pirates travel to Chapel Hill to take on No. 3 North Carolina on Wednesday evening.
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"They're currently No. 3 in the country and they're as strong as a team from North Carolina as we've seen," said head coach Tom Morris. "Their top four are ranked in the top 30 in the country. They're extremely deep and every match will be a great opportunity all the way up and down. That's the reason they're ranked No. 3. We're looking forward to playing them. It's a great opportunity and our girls are excited."
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ECU (0-1) started its season with a 7-0 loss at NC State. Although the Pirates could not take a point from the Wolfpack, ECU did have a few bright spots. Alisa Diercksen battled NC State's No. 111-ranked Alana Smith in a three-set nailbiter as did Martina Paladini-Jennings against Amanda Rebol. Diercksen and Nastja Rettich are both tied for the team lead with eight wins apiece while Paladini-Jennings has six. In doubles, Dierksen and Lisa Hofbauer became the third ECU tandem to be ranked by the International Tennis Association (ITA), checking in at No. 49 after going 5-1 during the fall. The pair dropped their spring opener to NC State's 20th-ranked tandem of Anna Rogers and Smith.
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North Carolina (2-0) comes into the match with a 6-1 win over Elon and a 4-0 win over Charlotte under its belt. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 3 in the ITA team poll and have four ranked singles players as well as the No. 2 ranked doubles tandem. Leading the way in the rankings is Makenna Jones, who is 9-3 this season and is ranked No. 2 in the country. Just two spots behind her is Sara Daavettila who is 10-2 this season and is ranked No. 4. Also ranked for UNC are Alexa Graham (No. 18) and Cameron Morra (T-21st). In doubles, Morra and Jones are the second-ranked pairing in the country after starting the season 9-1.
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The match is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m., on Wednesday evening inside the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. Fans can watch the match here or follow the live stats here.
