App State Tennis Faces No. 65 Marshall, Hosts ECU Sunday

BOONE, N.C. – The App State tennis team will travel to Huntington, W.Va., to face No. 65 Marshall on Saturday at 10 a.m., before returning to the High Country to host East Carolina on Sunday. Prior to the noon matchup against East Carolina, there will be a dedication ceremony for the scoreboard and courts one and two of the new App State Tennis Courts at the Appalachian 105 Complex at 11:40 a.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers recently defeated Southern Miss last Sunday, 4-1. App State started the day strong, earning the doubles point. The duo of Taya Powell and Ruby Broadbent won the first doubles match for the Mountaineers, dropping only one game, 6-1. Savannah Dada-Mascoll and Alexi Cleveland followed suit, clinching the doubles point with a 6-2 win at the No. 3 spot.
 
With a one-point advantage entering singles play, the Mountaineers kept the momentum going with a straight-set victory by Dada-Mascoll at No. 1, winning 6-1, 6-2. Straight-set wins by Naledi Manyube and Broadbent clinched the Mountaineers' eighth win of the season, pushing them to 2-2 in Sun Belt Conference play.
 
On the Mountaineers
Dada-Mascoll is currently 9-2 in singles this season, with all wins coming from the No. 1 position.
 
Manyube is off to a strong start, boasting a 9-1 record in both singles and doubles. During the Sun Belt opening weekend, Manyube went 4-0 against Old Dominion and James Madison in both singles and doubles, helping propel the Mountaineers to their first SBC win of the season. She has won seven straight singles matches, with her last loss coming over three weeks ago against Charlotte.
 
Due to her play this past weekend against No. 48 South Alabama and Southern Miss, Manyube was named the Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week. She went 3-0 over the weekend, with two pivotal singles wins for the Mountaineers from the No. 2 spot, where she is 4-0.
 
Primarily playing in positions four through six, Alexi Cleveland has added depth for the Mountaineers, holding a 6-3 singles record and currently sitting at 2-0 in conference play. Before the Mountaineers clinched the win against Southern Miss, she was ahead 6-3, 3-1 when the match ended.
 
On the Thundering Herd
Marshall currently holds a 13-3 overall record (2-2 SBC), most recently defeating South Alabama 4-0 in Huntington, W.Va. The Thundering Herd finished last season with an 18-8 record (9-2 SBC), falling to App State in the first round of the 2024 Sun Belt Championship. Currently ranked No. 65 in the country, Marshall returns six players from last year's squad.
 
On the Pirates
East Carolina currently holds a 4-8 overall record, most recently defeating Norfolk State 5-2 in Norfolk, Va. The Pirates finished last season with an 11-8 record, falling to North Texas 1-4 in the first round of the AAC Women's Tennis Championships. ECU returns six players from last year's team.
 
Next Up
App State will stay on the road to face Arkansas State next Saturday. Play is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in State University, Ark.
 
The 2024-25 tennis season is presented by Hound Ears Club.