DURHAM, N.C. — The doubles team of juniors Emily Pena and Sofia Miller picked up a win for host North Carolina Central University in a 4-0 non-conference dual match loss to Duquesne University on a chilly Thursday afternoon at the NCCU Tennis Courts.
 
Pena and Miller rolled to their 6-2 win on the third court to give the Lady Eagles the early doubles advantage. Pena and Miller leveled their doubles record together at 3-3 with their second straight win.
 
The Dukes rallied to take the initial team point with a couple close 6-4 wins in the other doubles matches.
 
Senior Julianne Herman and junior Laurel Shymansky held off NCCU sophomore Frida Cnossen and freshman Hannah Gaines in the top doubles match. Herman/Shymansky constructed a 5-1 advantage before Cnossen/Gaines rallied back with the next three games. However, Herman/Shymansky won the next game to claim the narrow 6-4 victory to move to 8-3 paired together.
 
Sophomore Meredith Lee and freshman Priyanka Mitta clinched the doubles point in a 6-4 seesaw affair against sophomore Maru Berghaus and freshman Ivana Dragovic. Lee/Mitta trailed 2-1 and 4-3 before winning the final three games to move over .500 at 6-5.
 
Shymansky started the Dukes singles surge at No. 2 with a convincing 6-0, 6-0 triumph. Junior No. 3 Aishwarya Kona followed with a 6-4, 6-0 victory before senior No. 4 Maddy Adams ended the match with a 6-2, 6-2 win.
 
In the marquee singles match, Cnossen was in a tight battle against a three-time Atlantic 10 postseason award winner in Herman. The Dukes best player took the first set 6-3 as she was trying to improve on her stellar 8-1 dual-match record. Cnossen kept her from her ninth victory by leveling the match with a 6-4 win in the second set. The two players were about to start their decisive third set when the match was stopped after Duquesne clinched the team victory.
 
The Dukes improved to 7-5 while the Lady Eagles slipped to 2-6.
 
NC Central next hosts Appalachian State University on Friday at 11 a.m.