Women’s tennis extends win streak to 18

The East Carolina University women’s tennis team defeated Davidson College on Saturday in Greenville, bringing its winning streak to 18.

“I’m extremely proud of our team, the way we’re performing and battling through each match,” head coach Tom Morris said in the press release. “We’re dealing with some injuries, but they’re playing hard and playing their hearts out. I can’t ask for any more than that.”

The top two doubles tandems for ECU (18-2) had little trouble defeating their Davidson (9-8) opponents. Doubles team of sophomore Alisa Dierksen and junior Lisa Hofbauer got their 12th straight win and 17th win of the season by beating Davidson senior Megan Scholvinick and freshman Elizabeth Truluck 6-0. ECU sealed its point when senior Celia Ruiz and freshman Minette Van Vreden topped the Wildcat duo of junior tennis players Samantha Armas and Alexandra Abele 6-2.

The Pirates had three singles’ matches needing all three sets, but dominated the other three to clinch the match. ECU junior Nastja Rettich won against Davidson sophomore Alyssa Hahn 6-1, 6-1. Both earning their 13th straight singles wins, Ruiz and Diercksen defeated their opponents back to back, solidifying ECU’s match. Ruiz handled business in straight sets to beat Abele 6-1, 6-0 and Dierksen defeated Wildcat senior Gabrielle Centenari on court three 6-1, 6-4.

With the match already decided the Wildcats got their first point of the match when Truluck took it to sophomore Hsia Ho Chiao to win 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-2). The Pirates answered when Hofbauer completed a 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-4) victory against Scholvinck on court one. The match came to an end when Armas won in three sets against Van Vreden on court four 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6).

“Davidson just beat Brown and they’re a good program so it’s a good win for our team,” Morris said. “We’re playing solid tennis and coming through as a team. Our doubles is on cruise control to an extent. We’ve won 18 straight points and that opens the door for the rest of the match. It makes it a little bit easier in singles.”

ECU will hit the road for the final time in the regular season next weekend. They are set to play North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina on Friday at noon, then travel to Richmond, Virginia on Saturday to take on the University of Richmond. That match is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.