March 5, 2008

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina, ranked No. 63 nationally in the current Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I Poll, improved its record to 10-0 with consecutive 7-0 triumphs over UNC Asheville and Winston-Salem State to sweep a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at the ECU Tennis Complex.

While victory extended ECU's season-opening win streak to 10 straight, the Bulldogs and Rams fell to 3-4 and 1-14, respectively.

In the opener against UNC Asheville, ECU combined to record a 24-11 doubles ledger during its three victories and followed by taking four of six singles matchups in straight sets. Tandems Hannah Priest/Varinia Soler and Luiza Borges/Mireia Gol produced 8-1 and 8-4 wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 slots to clinch the opening point before Soler (No. 1), Gol (No. 2), Brooke Walter (No. 3) and Priest (No. 6) combined to outscore the Bulldogs 48-7 to lead East Carolina in singles play.

Against Winston-Salem State in the nightcap, the Lady Pirates rolled to a 16-0 doubles record and used a default win to garner the opening tally before following with a 60-5 singles record and another default point to close out the scoring.

Priest and Tamara Sachs, along with Zandy Overcash and Alex Smith, logged 8-0 tandem triumphs over WSSU's Shannon Loughnan/Johanna Nunez and Gabrielle Benjamin/Terese Lavan. In singles play, Priest (No. 2) and Kristin Gordon (No. 5) each produced 6-0, 6-0 wins to help East Carolina cruise past the Rams in convincing fashion.

The Lady Pirates will close out their three-match homestand Thursday when it meets No. 43 Virgina Tech (11-3) beginning at 1 p.m.

EAST CAROLINA 7, UNC ASHEVILLE 0
Singles Play
No. 1 - Varinia Soler (ECU) def. Leslie Smith (UNCA); 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - Mireia Gol (ECU) def. Louise Bottomley (UNCA); 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 - Brooke Walter (ECU) def. Stephanie Schon (UNCA); 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 - Luiza Borges (ECU) def. Nicole Schon (UNCA); 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
No. 5 - Tamara Sachs (ECU) def. Tania Mateva (UNCA); 5-7, 7-6, 1-0
No. 6 - Hannah Priest (ECU) def. Whitney Abbott (UNCA); 6-0, 6-1
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Alex Smith/Walter (ECU) def. Bottomley/Smith (UNCA); 8-6
No. 2 - Priest/Soler (ECU) def. Abbott/S. Schon (UNCA); 8-1
No. 3 - Borges/Gol (ECU) def. Mateva/N. Schon (UNCA); 8-4
Team Records: UNC Asheville 3-4, East Carolina 9-0

EAST CAROLINA 7, WINSTON-SALEM STATE 0
Singles Play
No. 1 - Tamara Sachs (ECU) def. Shannon Loughnan (WSSU; 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 - Hannah Priest (ECU) def. Johanna Nunez (WSSU); 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 - Alex Smith (ECU) def. Terese Lavan (WSSU); 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 - Zandy Overcash (ECU) def. Gabrielle Benjamin (WSSU); 6-0, 6-2
No. 5 - Kristin Gordon (ECU) def. Jade Heggins (WSSU); 6-0, 6-0
No. 6 - Sheelah Iyengar (ECU) won by default
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Priest/Sachs (ECU) def. Loughnan/Nunez (WSSU); 8-0
No. 2 - Overcash/Smith (ECU) def. Benjamin/Lavan (WSSU); 8-0
No. 3 - Gordon/Iyengar (ECU) won by default
Team Records: Winston-Salem State 1-14, East Carolina 10-0