ECU Finishes Weekend With 4-2 Win Over Memphis

Saturday, February 9

New Orleans, La.

12 Noon

East Carolina University

University of Memphis

Photo by: Rob Taylor

February 09, 2019 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, LA. – The ECU women's tennis team will head back to Greenville with a pair of wins over conference opponents after beating Memphis 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at the City Park Tennis Center.

"This was a very solid effort by our team against a talented Memphis program," said head coach Tom Morris. "We started today's match with a very important doubles point and continued with solid singles play. I am extremely proud of the way our team battled for two very important conference wins.

A day after dropping the doubles point to Tulane, ECU won on the top two courts to take an early lead against Memphis. Celia Ruiz and Minette Van Vreden beat Katherine Cao and Aleks Topalovic 6-0 on court two get ECU halfway to the doubles point. Although Memphis answered when Josephine Cao and Hannah Davies beat Hsia Ho Chiao and Nastja Rettich 6-2 on court three, the Pirates took a 1-0 lead when the No. 49-ranked duo of Alisa Diercksen and Lisa Hofbauer beat Alisha Reayer and Laura Bente 6-2 on court one.

The doubles point proved vital as Memphis won two of the first three singles matches. The Tigers tied the score when Rettich fell the Lina Hohnhold 6-1, 6-0 on court six and then took the lead behind Katherine Cao topping Van Vredent 6-2, 6-1 on court five.

Order was quickly restored when Diercksen finished off a 6-2, 6-1 win over Topalovec on court three. ECU added a third point thanks to Martina Paladini-Jennings beating Davies 6-3, 6-3 on court four.

The winning point came courtesy of Hofbauer who rattled off consecutive 6-3 sets to knock off Bente on court one.

ECU will finally get a chance to play at home next weekend when the Pirates host a trio of matches. First up is a 1 p.m., match against James Madison on Friday, Feb. 15. ECU will also take on Campbell and Winston-Salem State, both on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Singles Results
1. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Laura Bente (Memphis) 6-3, 6-3
2. Celia Ruiz vs. Alisha Reayer (Mempjhis) 7-5, 2-4 unfinished
3. Alisa Diercksen (ECU) def. Aleks Topalovic (Memphis) 6-2, 6-1
4. Martina Paladini-Jennings (ECU) def. Hannah Davies (Memphis) 6-3, 6-3
5. Katherine Cao (Memphis) def. Minette Van Vreden (ECU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Lina Hohnhold (Memphis) def. Nastja Rettich (ECU) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles Results
1. Alisa Diercksen/Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Alisha Reayer/Laura Bente (Memphis) 6-2
2. Celia Ruiz/Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Katherine Cao/Aleks Topalovic (Memphis) 6-0
3. Josephine Cao/Hannah Davies (Memphis) def. Hsia Ho Chiao/Nastja Rettich (ECU) 6-2

Match Notes
Memphis 1-4
ECU 2-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,5,3,4,1)