Box Score BOONE, N.C. - App State women's tennis knocked off No. 48 East Carolina in a thrilling 4-3 victory on Wednesday evening at the Deer Valley Racquet Club.
App State has won four straight matches, its last 11 home bouts and the victory over the 48th-ranked Pirates is the highest since the ITA rankings were established. ECU is now 3-4 on the season.
Facing an ECU squad that is ranked 30 spots higher than the Black and Gold (78th), App State pulled through late thanks to
Selina Atay's straight-set win that clinched the contest.
With the score tied 3-3, Atay defeated Ho Chiao Hsia 6-4, 6-1 for her third straight win and second consecutive clinching triumph. The freshman improves to 3-0 in her early career.
App State and ECU traded singles matches after the Black and Gold started with a 1-0 edge.
The Pirates won Court No. 2 to tie up the contest before
Cassie McLay won her third straight contest, defeating Michelle Ncube 6-2, 7-5 on Court No. 3, and also moving to 3-0.
Following a win by Court No. 4 by the visitors,
Sasha Pisareva came away with a timely come-from-behind win over Lisa Hofbauer in No. 1 singles. Pisareva fell in the first set 5-7, bounced back for a 6-4 victory and while trailing 4-3 in the deciding frame, scored the final three points to give the Black and Gold a 3-2 lead.
María José Zacarias suffered a three-set defeat at the hands of Minette Van Vreden, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a hard-fought contest, setting up the final contest at court six.
The Mountaineers captured the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead with three tight finishes.
Sasha Pisareva and
Virginia Poggi were the first to finish when they dealt Nastja Rettich/Michelle Ncube 6-3.
After
Kate Earnhardt and Atay narrowly fell to Ho Chiao Hsia/Minette Van Vreden in a tiebreaking 7-6 (7-4) defeat, the top tandem of McLay and Zacarias came through in the clutch when they dealt Lisa Hofbauer/Sibel Tanik a 7-6 (7-4) loss to clinch doubles. It's the second straight match in which Zacarias and McLay clinched the doubles point.
McLay/Zacarias is now 3-1 with three straight wins in singles, while Pisareva/Poggi is 2-1. Despite the loss, Atay and Earnhardt stand at 2-1.
App State will aim to cap off the solid week on Sunday at 2 p.m. against College of Charleston in a home affair at the Yonahlossee Racquet Club.
