DURHAM, N.C. — Reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player and Rookie of the Week Jade Houston won her fifth straight singles match to account for the only point for host North Carolina Central University in a 6-1 non-conference loss to University of North Dakota on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Fighting Hawks improved to 5-7 on the season while the Eagles slipped to 2-7.
 
Houston had to win a tiebreaker in the first set, 7-1, and then rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the second set by winning five straight games to close out her victory. Houston finished off her victory over sophomore Andrea Jansson by a score of 7-6, 6-4.
 
Houston (5-4) moved over .500 on the season with her fifth straight singles triumph. The win over North Dakota on Wednesday was her first win in the second slot in NCCU's lineup as her previous four wins were at No. 3 singles.
 
In the top singles showdown, UND junior Allie Ochotorena completed a comeback on NCCU freshman Josefa Fernandez with a superset tiebreaker victory in the only match that went three sets. Ochotorena edged Fernandez by a final margin of 3-6, 6-1, 10-8.
 
The Fighting Hawks sealed the team victory with a pair of straight set wins on courts three and four. Senior No. 3 Kaede Amano topped senior Maru Berghaus by a 6-2, 6-1 score before classmate Isa Sullivan held off junior Ivana Dragovic by a tally of 7-5, 6-3.
 
North Dakota started its day with a pair of 6-0 wins in doubles and the Fighting Hawks were then quickly up 3-0 as NCCU defaulted fifth and sixth singles with only four active players.
 
NC Central is next scheduled to host Shaw University on Friday at 1 p.m.