GREENSBORO, N.C. — Senior Maru Berghaus and junior Ivana Dragovic both won in singles and doubles action to lead the North Carolina Central University women's tennis team to a 5-2 road victory over rival North Carolina A&T State University in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener for both squads Saturday afternoon at the Aggie Tennis Center.
 
The Eagles won all five singles matches contested in straight sets to improve to 2-6 on the season and start league play at 1-0. The Aggies remained winless at 0-8 overall and 0-1 in conference competition.
 
Berghaus and Dragovic partnered for a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, knocking off junior Mikaya Hamilton and sophomore Marlene Estenssoro Pineda. Berghaus and Dragovic leveled their record together at 4-4 on the season.
 
However, a 6-4 win by the Aggies top tandem sealed the doubles point for the hosts. N.C. A&T then led 2-0 at the start of singles competition as NCCU defaulted the sixth singles position with just five active players.
 
The Eagles flew ahead by dominating the five bouts that took place. NCCU won 60 of the 76 games played to rally for the team triumph.
 
Freshman Josefa Fernandez played atop the maroon and gray lineup for a second straight match, and she got her first win from that position by coasting 6-1, 6-2 over Hamilton.
 
Berghaus got in the singles win column for the first time this season, winning by a 6-4, 6-2 margin on court two over junior Ameer Robertson.
 
Freshman Jade Houston continues her hot string of play with her fourth consecutive victory. She rolled to a 6-2, 6-0 conquest of freshman Florielvis Hurtado Pernaleta at the third slot in the lineup.
 
Fernandez and Houston lead the Eagles with matching 4-4 singles records.
 
Dragovic secured her second win of the season at No. 4 singles. She matched Houston by losing just two games in her convincing 6-1, 6-1 victory over Estenssoro Pineda.
 
Freshman Maria Picazo was nearly as good in her third singles win of her first collegiate season. Picazo pulled away for her 6-3, 6-0 victory over fellow rookie Manuela Sofia Jimenez.
 
NC Central will next host Shaw University in a rescheduled match on Friday, March 19 at 1 p.m.