Friday, April 12
Greenville, N.C.
2 PM
East Carolina University
4
vs
3
University of Cincinnati
Photo by: Rob Taylor
Pirates Hang On For Dramatic 4-3 Win
April 12, 2019 | Women's Tennis
GREENVILLE, N.C. – In a battle that lasted nearly four hours, the ECU women's tennis team survived to earn a 4-3 win over visiting Cincinnati on Friday afternoon.
"Great match, the girls fought hard," said head coach Tom Morris. "Lisa (Hofbauer) was down in the third set and came back to win. We just keep winning at the places we need to when we need to. That's been the story of the year. I really have to hand it to them. We're tired and we're beat up, but we just fought. It was a great match, this might have been one of the best we've played this year. I'm really, really proud of this group right now."
ECU (21-2) continues its record-setting winning streak with the closest win of the season. Cincinnati (10-10) loses its third straight match, all by the score of 4-3.
The early going was all ECU. The Pirates claimed the doubles point behind a dominant 6-1 win by Nastja Rettich and Hsia Ho Chiao on court three, followed by a 6-3 win by Celia Ruiz and Minette Van Vreden on court two.
Ruiz and Van Vreden took their doubles momentum into singles play. Van Vreden extended ECU's lead when she beat Anna Philip 6-1, 6-2 on court five. Ruiz put ECU on the brink of clinching when she topped Ioana Guna 6-2, 6-2 on court two.
Despite leading 3-0, ECU was not running away with the win, as the remaining four Bearcats had won their opening sets, meaning the Pirates needed at least one player to overturn a deficit.
Cincinnati made sure ECU did not have a chance to comeback on courts three and four, as Alisa Diercksen fell to Caroline Morton 6-3, 7-5 while Martina Paladini-Jennings dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Maria Santilli.
Hope came for the Pirates in the forms of Lisa Hofbauer and Chiao. Hofbauer won her second set on court one against Antonella Bramato while Chiao recovered from a tiebreaker loss in the opening set to claim the second set on court six. Unfortunately, Chiao could not keep the momentum going in the third, bowing out to Emma Miceli 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-0.
The match came down to court one and for a while, it looked like the winning streak was coming to an end. Hofbauer trailed Bramato 4-1 and 5-3 in the third set. However, Hofbauer dug deep and fought back, not only tying Bramato, but taking the lead at 6-5. With Hofbauer holding that lead, it came down to a match point with both players sitting at 40-40. Bramato just won the final point, sending the game to a tiebreaker.
In the tiebreaker, the role were reversed, as Hofbauer took an early lead, including up 4-1. However, Bramato answered to tie the score at 5-5. With Bramato serving, Hofbauer won a crucial point to regain the lead and then followed with a point off her own serve to set off a Pirate celebration.
ECU will have just one match remaining in the regular season. The Pirates are scheduled to take on Connecticut at 12 noon on Saturday at River Birch Tennis Complex, pending any changes due to weather.
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Antonella Bramato (Cincinnati) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Celia Ruiz (ECU) def. Ioana Guna (Cincinnati) 6-2, 6-2
3. Caroline Morton (Cincinnati) def. Alisa Diercksen (ECU) 6-3, 7-5
4. Maria Santili (Cincinnati) def. Martina Paladini-Jennings (ECU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Anna Philip (Cincinnati) 6-1, 6-2
6. Emma Miceli (Cincinnati) def. Hsia Ho Chiao (ECU) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-0
 Doubles Results
1. Alisa Diercksen/Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) vs. Antonella Bramato/Alexia Coutino (Cincinnati) 4-4, unfinished
2. Celia Ruiz/Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Iona Guna/Anna Philip (Cincinnati) 6-3
3. Nastja Rettich/Hsia Ho Chiao (ECU) def. Emma Miceli/Caroline Morton (Cincinnati) 6-1
Match Notes
Cincinnati 10-10
ECU 21-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,2,4,3,6,1)
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"Great match, the girls fought hard," said head coach Tom Morris. "Lisa (Hofbauer) was down in the third set and came back to win. We just keep winning at the places we need to when we need to. That's been the story of the year. I really have to hand it to them. We're tired and we're beat up, but we just fought. It was a great match, this might have been one of the best we've played this year. I'm really, really proud of this group right now."
ECU (21-2) continues its record-setting winning streak with the closest win of the season. Cincinnati (10-10) loses its third straight match, all by the score of 4-3.
The early going was all ECU. The Pirates claimed the doubles point behind a dominant 6-1 win by Nastja Rettich and Hsia Ho Chiao on court three, followed by a 6-3 win by Celia Ruiz and Minette Van Vreden on court two.
Ruiz and Van Vreden took their doubles momentum into singles play. Van Vreden extended ECU's lead when she beat Anna Philip 6-1, 6-2 on court five. Ruiz put ECU on the brink of clinching when she topped Ioana Guna 6-2, 6-2 on court two.
Despite leading 3-0, ECU was not running away with the win, as the remaining four Bearcats had won their opening sets, meaning the Pirates needed at least one player to overturn a deficit.
Cincinnati made sure ECU did not have a chance to comeback on courts three and four, as Alisa Diercksen fell to Caroline Morton 6-3, 7-5 while Martina Paladini-Jennings dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Maria Santilli.
Hope came for the Pirates in the forms of Lisa Hofbauer and Chiao. Hofbauer won her second set on court one against Antonella Bramato while Chiao recovered from a tiebreaker loss in the opening set to claim the second set on court six. Unfortunately, Chiao could not keep the momentum going in the third, bowing out to Emma Miceli 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-0.
The match came down to court one and for a while, it looked like the winning streak was coming to an end. Hofbauer trailed Bramato 4-1 and 5-3 in the third set. However, Hofbauer dug deep and fought back, not only tying Bramato, but taking the lead at 6-5. With Hofbauer holding that lead, it came down to a match point with both players sitting at 40-40. Bramato just won the final point, sending the game to a tiebreaker.
In the tiebreaker, the role were reversed, as Hofbauer took an early lead, including up 4-1. However, Bramato answered to tie the score at 5-5. With Bramato serving, Hofbauer won a crucial point to regain the lead and then followed with a point off her own serve to set off a Pirate celebration.
ECU will have just one match remaining in the regular season. The Pirates are scheduled to take on Connecticut at 12 noon on Saturday at River Birch Tennis Complex, pending any changes due to weather.
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Antonella Bramato (Cincinnati) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Celia Ruiz (ECU) def. Ioana Guna (Cincinnati) 6-2, 6-2
3. Caroline Morton (Cincinnati) def. Alisa Diercksen (ECU) 6-3, 7-5
4. Maria Santili (Cincinnati) def. Martina Paladini-Jennings (ECU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Anna Philip (Cincinnati) 6-1, 6-2
6. Emma Miceli (Cincinnati) def. Hsia Ho Chiao (ECU) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-0
 Doubles Results
1. Alisa Diercksen/Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) vs. Antonella Bramato/Alexia Coutino (Cincinnati) 4-4, unfinished
2. Celia Ruiz/Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Iona Guna/Anna Philip (Cincinnati) 6-3
3. Nastja Rettich/Hsia Ho Chiao (ECU) def. Emma Miceli/Caroline Morton (Cincinnati) 6-1
Match Notes
Cincinnati 10-10
ECU 21-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,2,4,3,6,1)
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2
#1 Singles Match
123
Antonella Bramato / 0 [CIN]
626
267
#2 Singles Match
12
Ioana Guna / 0 [CIN]
22
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Caroline Morton / 0 [CIN]
67
35
#4 Singles Match
12
Maria Santilli / 0 [CIN]
66
12
#5 Singles Match
12
Anna Philp / 0 [CIN]
12
66
#6 Singles Match
123
Emma Miceli / 0 [CIN]
746
660
Order of Finish:
5,2,4,3,6,1
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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