WILMINGTON, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University women's tennis team opened up its 2021 season with a non-conference road match at UNCW on Saturday, falling 7-0 to the Seahawks.
 
UNCW (1-1) won every set to secure its first win.
 
Senior Maru Berghaus (Cologne, Germany) and freshman Josefa Fernandez (Santiago, Chili) provided the Eagles with the closest battles of the day.
 
Berghaus played atop NCCU's lineup and lost a 7-5, 6-0 battle with senior Celeste Matute (Islip, N.Y.).
 
Fernandez made her maroon and gray debut on court four and was eventually defeated 6-2, 7-5 by sophomore Anna Daniels (Matthews, N.C.).
 
The Eagles lineup also included freshman No. 2 Jade Houston (Raleigh, N.C.), junior No. 3 Hannah Gaines (Kernersville, N.C.), junior No. 5 Ivana Dragovic (Novi Sad, Serbia) and freshman No. 6 Maria Picazo (Madrid, Spain).
 
Houston and Picazo joined Fernandez in playing in their first collegiate match.
 
UNCW swept doubles with Gaines and Fernandez providing the biggest fight for the Eagles. They lost 6-3 at No. 1 doubles to freshman Anna Parker Shumate (Charlotte, N.C.) and senior Maddy Muller-Hughes (Perth, Australia).
 
NC Central (0-1) is next scheduled to make its home debut on Saturday, Feb. 6 against Wofford College at 1 p.m.