ECU Hosts Trio Of Matches

Match 9: Elon (9-4) at ECU (3-5)
Date	Friday, February 28
Time	2 p.m. (EST)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (River Birch Tennis Complex)
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUWTennis Instagram: @ECUWTennis Facebook: ECU Pirates Women's Tennis

Match 10: George Washington (3-5) at ECU (3-5)
Date	Saturday, February 29
Time	10 a.m. (EST)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (River Birch Tennis Complex)
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUWTennis Instagram: @ECUWTennis Facebook: ECU Pirates Women's Tennis

Match 11: NC Central (1-4) at ECU (3-5)
Date	Saturday, February 29
Time	3 p.m. (EST)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (River Birch Tennis Complex)
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUWTennis Instagram: @ECUWTennis Facebook: ECU Pirates Women's Tennis

GREENVILLE, N.C. – After eight road matches to start the season, the ECU women's tennis team will return home for a trio of matches this weekend, including the final match of head coach Tom Morris' illustrious career.

ECU's (3-5) first home match could not come at a better time as the Pirates have lost three straight coming into the weekend. The Pirates are coming off tight losses at Appalachian State (4-3) and William & Mary (4-2). Sibel Tanik was the bright spot in the losses for ECU, winning both of her matches and she now leads the Pirates with an 11-11 singles record. Lisa Hofbauer is just 6-7 overall, but she has battled on the top court for ECU and is 4-3 there. The other Pirate with at least 10 wins is Nastja Rettich, who has a 10-10 record. In doubles, Hofbauer and Tanik are 4-5 together and have played every match on court one. Rettich and Michelle Ncube lead ECU with six wins together as a tandem.

The Pirates have been dominant at home over the past three years. Since losing to Coastal Carolina on February 24, 2017, ECU has gone 19-0 at home, including 9-0 during the 2019 season. Along with the first home matches, this weekend will also be the last for Tom Morris as ECU's head coach. Morris will retire from his post on March 1 after 22 years and more than 300 wins in charge of the Pirates. Associate head coach Kirstin Burgess will step in as interim head coach following Morris' retirement.

Elon (9-4) has won five straight matches, outscoring opponents 27-5 in those matches. The Phoenix are just 1-2 on the road though, losing to Duke and North Carolina while beating Davidson. Elon is 46-25 in singles matches this spring, led by Victoria Saldh's 8-2 record. Saldh is 7-2 on court two while Alex Koniaev has gone 7-5 on court one. Olivia Archer (7-3) and Shauna Galvin (6-0) both come into this weekend with winning streaks of at least four matches. In doubles, Sofia Edo and Saldh lead the Phoenix with a 7-2 ledger. Archer and Koniaev are right behind them with a 5-1 mark, all on court one. It will be the tenth consecutive year the two schools have met. Elon dominated the series between 2012 and 2017, wnning all six meetings, but ECU has won two straight against the Phoenix. Last year, the Pirates went to Elon and won 6-1.

George Washington (3-5) comes to Greenville on a two-match losing streak, having dropped matches to Navy and James Madison last weekend. The Colonials are just 41-46 in singles play this year. Alexandra Vesikallio leads the team with a 10-5 record while Sarah Bodewes is 8-5. In doubles, Katarina Marinkovikj and Melis Bayrataroglu have played the majority of George Washington's matches on court one and are 8-9 as a duo. Bodewes and Luciana Kunkel are second on the team with a 7-8 record as a partnership. The two schools met last year for the first time since the 2013 season and ECU claimed a 4-0 win in Washington, D.C.

NC Central (1-4) has struggled this season, getting outscored 27-8 overall and 27-1 in its four losses. Ivana Draogovic is the only Eagle with multiple singles wins, going 2-3 so far. Frida Cnossen has played on court one for NC Central while Maru Berghaus covers court two. In doubles, Hannah Gaines and Cnossen are the top pair while Berghaus and Dragovic cover the second court. ECU has historically dominated the series between the Pirates and the Eagles and has won 16 straight matches between the two schools. Last year, the ECU swept NC Central 7-0 in Durham.

ECU will take on Elon at 2 p.m., on Friday afternoon at the River Birch Tennis Complex. The Pirates will play George Washington at 10 a.m., on Saturday afternoon before taking on NC Central at 3 p.m., that afternoon.

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Players Mentioned

Lisa Hofbauer

Michelle Ncube

Nastja Rettich

Sibel Tanik

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