ELON, N.C. — Freshman Kennedy Hill and sophomore Maria Picazo both won their opening singles matches at 2021 Elon Fall Invitational to highlight play for the North Carolina Central University women's tennis team in its first competition of the 2021-22 season over the weekend at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
 
Hill, who hails from Tyrone, Georgia, netted both a singles and doubles triumph in her first collegiate competition.
 
Playing in the Powell singles flight, Hill topped Elon senior Olivia Archer in straight sets (6-3, 6-1) before dropping her next semifinals match to East Carolina freshman Ines Bachir (6-2, 6-4).
 
Picazo was victorious in NCCU's lone three-set match of the day, advancing to the semifinals of the Acorn singles flight with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 triumph over Navy junior Casey Accola. The product of Madrid, Spain, was then eliminated by the eventually Acorn flight champion with a 6-0, 6-2 loss to Elon junior Julie Ball.
 
In doubles action, Hill partnered with senior Hannah Gaines for a consolation win in the Gold doubles flight. Hill and Gaines survived a tiebreaker to knock off Accola and freshman Parvathi Shanker from Navy by a narrow 8-7 (5) score. The newly formed NCCU doubles tandem lost their first match, 8-3, to the eventual Gold flight champions from Elon (Archer and Ball).
 
Freshmen Isabelle Exsted and Anaiah Jones also made their collegiate debuts for the maroon and gray at the Elon Invite.
 
The Eagles will next host its annual NCCU Invitational on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 21-22.
 
Powell Singles Flight
Kennedy Hill (NCCU) def. Olivia Archer (Elon), 6-3, 6-1
Ines Bachir (ECU) def. Kennedy Hill (NCCU), 6-2, 6-4
 
Acorn Singles Flight
Maria Picazo (NCCU) def. Casey Accola (Navy), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Julie Ball (Elon) def. Maria Picazo (NCCU), 6-0, 6-2
Alisha Hussain (ECU) def. Isabelle Exsted (NCCU), 7-5, 6-0
Meghana Komarraju (Navy) def. Isabelle Exsted (NCCU), 6-2, Ret. (Inj.)
 
Oak Singles Flight
Parvathi Shanker (Navy) def. Hannah Gaines (NCCU), 6-3, 6-2
Shauna Galvin (Elon) def. Hannah Gaines (NCCU), 6-3, 6-4
 
Phoenix Singles Flight
Sarah Allen (Elon) def. Anaiah Jones (NCCU), 6-0, 6-2
McCollough Perry (UNCG) def. Anaiah Jones (NCCU), 6-4, 6-1
 
Gold Doubles Flight
Olivia Archer/Julie Ball (Elon) def. Kennedy Hill/Hannah Gaines (NCCU), 8-3
Kennedy Hill/Hannah Gaines (NCCU) def. Casey Accola/Parvathi Shanker (Navy), 8-7 (5)
Alison O'Dea/Victoria Saldh (Elon) def. Kennedy Hill/Hannah Gaines (NCCU), 8-2
 
Powell Doubles Flight
Sarah Allen/Shauna Galvin (Elon) def. Isabelle Exsted/Maria Picazo (NCCU), 8-3
Beatrice Faureng/Kendall Byers (UNCA) def. Isabelle Exsted/Maria Picazo (NCCU), 8-4