Women's Tennis 2012
Julia Aguilar, Ekaterina Nekrasova, Rebecca Wood, Oleysa Palko, Cameron Chatman

Women's Tennis Written Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Sports Information Director

NCCU WOMEN’S TENNIS DEFEATS UNC ASHEVILLE IN HOME OPENER

Lady Eagles boast first series win since rising to the Division I ranks

Candid Post-Match Video Interviews    

DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) - The Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University achieved their first win of the 2012 campaign with a 5-2 victory over the Lady Bulldogs of UNC Asheville on Wednesday, Feb. 1, on the NCCU tennis courts.

Wednesday’s meeting marks the first time since NCCU became a Division I institution that head coach David Nass led his squad to victory over the Lady Bulldogs.  In the initial series meetings, after beginning the Division I process, the Lady Eagles lost 0-7 in 2009, followed by a 2-5 defeat in 2010 and a 3-4 loss in 2011.

“This is a little bit unexpected because it is so early in the season and we really have not had the opportunity to be tested,” said NCCU women’s tennis head coach David Nass. “Today was, in my mind, a bigger test than we would be ready for, but the team proved me wrong. They showed that I wasn’t ready for the fact that they are winners.”

The mighty maroon began the afternoon competition with doubles competition, which consisted of No. 1 doubles players Cameron Chatman and Olesya Palko, and No. 2 doubles players Ekaterina Nekrasova and Rebecca Wood.  Chatman and Palko defeated Emily McNall and Christine Boissevain 9-7 in a back-from-behind effort.  Nekrasova and Wood battled Zoe Hamel and Amryn Soldier, with the Lady Eagle duo conquering their Lady Bulldog opponents 8-2.

In singles play, Palko competed in the No. 1 slot and attained a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Hamel.  Achieving her second singles victory of the season as the No. 2 singles player, Chatman ended the afternoon with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Soldier.  Nekrasova (No. 3) and Wood (No. 4) gathered their first wins in maroon and gray, as Nekrasova beat McNall 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5) and Wood overthrew Boissevain 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.  Julia Aguilar rounded out singles play as in the No. 6 position.  The freshman lost 6-0, 6-0 to Amie Cloer.

The Lady Eagles advance to 1-1 on the season.

NCCU continues the season with a Saturday, Feb. 4 match against the Camels of Campbell at 1:00 p.m. in Buies Creek, N.C.
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