CARY, N.C. – Sophomore
Jade Houston and
Maria Picazo both won three of their four matches on the day for the North Carolina Central University women's tennis team as the Eagles went 1-1 on day one of the MEAC Round-Up hosted by NCCU at the Cary Tennis Park on Thursday.
The Eagles were edged 4-3 in their league opener against Morgan State University, but bounced back with a 7-0 sweep of Coppin State University in the nightcap.
NCCU (3-8 Overall, 1-1 MEAC) will continue play in the MEAC Round-Up on Friday when the Eagles play Delaware State University at noon.
MATCH ONE: Morgan State 4, NC Central 3
The Eagles constructed a 3-2 lead before the Bears won the final two matches to start for the comeback win. Morgan State (2-6, 1-0) got straight-set wins from their fifth and sixth singles players to complete the rally and start league play with a victory.
After the Bears swept doubles and won the first completed singles match to take a 2-nil edge, NCCU leapfrogged in front with wins by Picazo, Houston and freshman
Isabelle Exsted.
Picazo put the Eagles on the board with consecutive 6-4 set wins on court three over a past All-MEAC Team selection in fifth-year senior Asmara Rose. Houston then outlasted MSU's wins leader from the 2020 season in senior Averiana Mitchell by a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 atop NCCU's lineup. Exsted also needed three sets at No. 4 singles, slipping past junior Anabel Aran by a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 score.
MATCH TWO: NC Central 7, Coppin State 0
NCCU won all seven contested matches for their first shutout win of the season.
The host Eagles won all five singles matches in straight sets, including Houston (6-0, 6-0), freshman No. 2
Kennedy Hill (7-5, 6-3), Picazo (6-0, 6-2), freshman No. 4
Lafi Joao (6-2, 6-4) and Exsted (6-0, 6-0).
The rookie trio of Exsted (5-3), Hill (5-5) and Joao (5-5) all have five wins in their first season representing the maroon and gray. Houston (4-6) and Picazo (4-6) both have four wins after each picking up a pair of singles wins on the day.
NC Central began the contest with 6-3 and 6-0 wins in the two doubles matches. Houston and Joao partnered together for their third win while Hill and Picazo won for a second time together to level their record to .500.
