DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore Candice Bernier of the North Carolina Central University women's tennis team won her fifth straight singles match in Friday's 5-2 loss to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Her classmate Alejandra Hidalgo Vega was also victorious in singles against the Seahawks.

NCCU (5-13, 2-2 MEAC) completed doubles as UNC Wilmington took the first point of the match. Bernier and senior Jade Houston fell in No.1 Doubles 7-5 while freshman Patricia Palencia and senior Isabelle Exsted dropped a 6-4 match in No.3 Doubles. Hidalgo Vega and junior Kennedy Hill's No.2 Doubles match went unfinished.

Hidalgo Vega would even the score after triumphing 6-2, 6-1 in No.1 Singles. Bernier won with an identical score in No.3 Singles for a 2-1 lead for the Eagles.

UNC Wilmington (9-5, 2-3 CAA) would excel in the final three singles matches. Both Palencia and Houston's matches went to three sets. After falling in the first set 7-5 in No.2 Singles, Houston went on to claim the second set 6-2. Her opponent Lucia Gomez took the third set 6-3. Palencia jumped to a 6-4 first set but dropped her second set 6-0. Her opponent Alicia Eberwein secured the point in No.4 Singles in a 6-4 third set.

Exsted played a close first set in No.5 Singles needing a tiebreaker. She was defeated 7-5 in the tiebreaker and fell in the second set 6-3 as well. Hill retired from her No.6 Singles match.

NC Central hosts Norfolk State University on Sunday, April 7 at 10:00 a.m. for one of the two final regular season conference matches.

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