PETERSBURG, Va. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) - The North Carolina Central University men’s and women’s tennis teams defeated Virginia State University, 6-3 and 6-3, respectively, in a Saturday, Feb. 18 battle-of-the rackets doubleheader in Petersburg, Va.
 
The men began the competition at 10:30 a.m., with NCCU gathering the doubles point on the combined efforts of Tamina Kienka and Jack Waissen and Alejandro Espitia and Jose Fabara.  Kienka and Waissen defeated Emmanuel Haug and Avery Saunders, 9-8 (3), while Espitia and Fabara beat Matthew Brown and Nicholas Brown, 8-6.
 
NCCU secured its second Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association victory of the season with four singles wins.  Waissen retired Haug in a thrilling 3-6, 6-3 (retire) battle, as Fabara beat Saunders, 6-1, 6-0, Espitia defeated Tevin Smith, 6-0, 6-1 and Kienka conquered Nicholas Pfab, 7-5, 6-4.
 
The day continued on to women’s play, which was an identical 6-3 win.
 
Olesya Palk and Cameron Chatman seized the No. 1 doubles victory be defeating Amanda Spencer and Zaire Simmons, 8-2, while Rebecca Wood and Ekaterina Nekrasova locked down the doubles point with a 8-1 win over Sharmane Tonkins and Nakesha Harry.
 
In singles play, NCCU earned four-of-the-six match wins.  Palko beat Harry, 6-0, 6-1, Chatman swept her opponent, Spencer, 6-0, 6-0, Simmons lost by default to NCCU’s Nekrasova and Wood beat Tonkins 6-0, 6-0.
 
The men’s squad returns to home action on Friday, Feb. 24 at to battle Coastal Carolina on the NCCU Tennis, as the women’s team welcomes Howard to Durham, N.C., on Saturday, Feb. 25, both matches begin at 12:00 p.m.
 
For more information on NCCU men’s tennis visit the official athletics website at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.