Pirates Drop 4-3 Thriller At App State

Wednesday, February 19

Boone, NC

2 PM

East Carolina University

Appalachian State

Photo by: Rob Taylor

February 19, 2020 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

BOONE, N.C. – Playing from behind most of the match, the ECU women's tennis team could not fight all the way back, falling 4-3 at App State on Wednesday afternoon.

"We knew it was going to be tough conditions and it was," said associate head coach Kirstin Burgess. "But we battled as hard as we could and just couldn't pull through in this one."

No. 48 ECU falls to 3-4 on the season while App State improves to 4-2.

The doubles point was decided by just a few bounces. The Mountaineers had the advantage when Sasha Pisareva and Virginia Poggi beat Nastja Rettich and Michelle Ncube 6-3 on court two. The other two matches needed tiebreakers to separate the tandems. ECU stayed alive when Hsia Ho Chiao and Minette Van Vreden topped Selina Atay and Kate Earnhardt 7-6 (7-4) on court three. The tiebreaker magic ran out though, with Lisa Hofbauer and Sibel Tanik falling to Cassie McLay and Maria Zacarias 7-6 (7-4) on court one.

Singles got off to a positive start for ECU. With three matches playing at a time, the Pirates won two of the three opening sets. Tanik turned her opening set into a straight sets win, beating Earnhardt 6-2, 6-0 on court two, to tie the match at 1-1.

But in what became a familiar pattern, App State had an answer. McLay beat Ncube 6-2, 7-5 on court three to put the Mountaineers back in front.

It was court four that was the next to finish, as Rettich bear Poggi 6-2, 6-2 to tie the match at 2-2. App State took the lead for the third time soon after with Pisareva coming back to beat Hofbauer 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 on court one.

The match came down to the final two courts, where App State had won the opening set on both. Van Vreden was able to overcome her deficit, topping Zacarias 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on court five and send the decision to court six. Unfortunately for ECU, Hsia could not keep up with Atay, falling 6-4, 6-1.

ECU will be back on the courts for the final match of a season-opening eight-match road stretch on Saturday. The Pirates will be at William & Mary with first serve scheduled for 1 p.m.

Singles Results
1. Sasha Pisareva (APP) def. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
2. Sibel Tanik (ECU) def. Kate Earnhardt (APP) 6-2, 6-0
3. Cassie McLay (APP) def. Michelle Ncube (ECU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Nastja Rettich (ECU) def. Virginia Poggi (APP) 6-2, 6-2
5. Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Maria Zacarias (APP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Selina Atay (APP) def. Ho Chiao Hsia (ECU) 6-4, 6-1

Doubles Results
1. Cassie McLay/Maria Zacarias (APP) def. Lisa Hofbauer/Sibel Tanik (ECU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Sasha Pisareva/Virginia Poggi (APP) def. Nastja Rettich/Michelle Ncube (ECU) 6-3
3. Ho Chao Hsia/Minette Van Vreden (ECU) def. Selina Atay/Kate Earnhardt (APP) 7-6 (7-4)

Order of Finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,4,1,5,6)