RICHMOND, Va. -- East Carolina University's women's tennis team got an impressive victory over East Tennessee State before falling to 25th-ranked Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday in the VCU Invitational.

The Lady Pirates, now 3-1 in dual-match play, defeated ETSU, 4-1, and fell to VCU, 5-0.

ECU head coach Tom Morris expected the East Tennessee State match to be an important early season test for his Lady Pirates, and ECU responded by winning three of the four singles matches and a straight-set victory in the lone doubles competition. Lyndall Jordan, Raluca Baicu, and Emily Kohl all posted wins at the flight one, two, and four singles matches, respectively. Paulina Sierpinski and Christina Meilicke paired up to post a 6-3, 6-4 victory over ETSU's Tatiana Arriaran and Aimee Villavicencio in doubles.

In the Sunday afternoon match, the Lady Pirates struggled against a VCU team that is ranked 25th in the most recent Omni Hotels ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. The Lady Rams posted straight-set victories in all four singles and lone doubles matches.

The Lady Pirates return to Greenville for their first home match of the 2003 spring season next Saturday, Feb. 8, when they host Winthrop at 10 a.m.

East Carolina 4, East Tennessee State 1

Singles
1. Lyndall Jordan (ECU) def. Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
2. Raluca Baicu (ECU) def. Courtney McInnis (ETSU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Gemma Halim (ETSU) def. Kirstin Buchanan (ECU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Emily Kohl (ECU) def. Jessica Irey (ETSU) 6-3, 0-6, 6-4
Doubles
1. Paulina Sierpinski/Christina Meilicke (ECU) def. Tatiana Arriaran/Aimee Villavicencio (ETSU) 6-3, 6-4

VCU 5, East Carolina 0

Singles
1. Silvia Urickova (VCU) def. Lyndall Jordan (ECU) 6-3, 6-0
2. Barbora Zahnova (VCU) def. Raluca Baicu (ECU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Beatriz Cabrera (VCU) def. Christina Meilicke (ECU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Cristina Gago (VCU) def. Lauren Perry (ECU) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
1. Marina Escobar/Ana Franco-Lopez (VCU) def. Emily Kohl/Paulina Sierpinski (ECU) 6-1, 6-0