Morales takes the lone point 3-6, 6-3, 6-0

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 22, 2022) – With a chance late to take the match on all singles points, the Hokies fended off the Bucs en-route to a 6-1 victory in Blacksburg. Alejandra Morales (Santiago, Chile) won her singles match in the No. 2 spot 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.

The pair of Morales and Laylo Bakhodirova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) started things strong after taking their doubles match 6-2 to put ETSU in a spot to take the doubles point, but the pair of Daniela Rivera (Maturin, Venezuela) and Mayya Gorbunova (Moscow, Russia) couldn’t finish of the pair of Erika Cheng and Rita Pinto and the Hokies stole the doubles point.

Morales got the Bucs on the board after the Hokies grabbed a point from the No. 6 spot, and the rest of the top four were in a prime position to knock off the Hokies. Virginia Tech’s Katie Andreini was able to fend off Rivera at the No. 5 spot to put Virginia Tech up 3-1, but the window was still open for Gorbunova, Bakhodirova, and Fernanda Carvajal (Queretaro, Mexico) to steal the match. Virginia Tech’s Erika Cheng held off Gorbunova 7-6 (12-10) in the second set to clinch the match.

Carvajal and Bakhodirova were each in the middle of their third set when the match was clinched. All three of the top seeds in singles play went three sets, with Bakhodirova dropping the final set 7-6 (9-7) and Carvajal dropping her final set 7-5.

Singles Competition

1. Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7)
2. Alejandra Morales (ETSU) Rita Pinto (VT), 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
3. Dariya Radulova (VT) def. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU), 6-4, 2-6, 7-5
4. Erika Cheng (VT) def. Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU), 7-5, 7-6 (12-10)
5. Katie Andreini (VT) def. Daniela Rivera (ETSU), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
6. Semra Aksu (VT) def. Yunuen Elizarraras (ETSU), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles Competition

1. Laylo Bakhodirova/Alejandra Morales (ETSU) def. Katie Andreini/Annie Clark (VT) 6-2
2. Erika Cheng/Rita Pinto (VT) def. Daniela Rivera/Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU), 7-6 (7-4)
3. Semra Aksu/Dariya Radulova (VT) def. #44 Fernanda Carvajal/Yunuen Elizarraras, 6-3

Match Notes: ETSU 0-3, Virginia Tech 1-0

Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,2,4,5,1,3)

UP NEXT

The Bucs will make the trip to Raleigh, N.C., to take on #8 NC State tomorrow afternoon at 5 p.m.

For more information on Buccaneer women’s tennis, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women’s tennis page.