Carvajal/Rivera win ninth doubles match

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 3, 2022) – The ETSU women’s tennis team gave another SoCon foe their first conference loss of the season.

The Bucs downed Samford 6-1 at Dave Mullins Tennis Complex, earning their fifth conference win of the season. In five conference matches, ETSU has allowed just three total points. The Blue & Gold gave Chattanooga their first conference loss of the season last week.

After dropping the doubles point against #52 Charlotte, it fell back in ETSU’s lap despite the Bulldogs taking the No. 1 flight 6-3. Fernanda Carvajal (Queretaro, Mexico) and Daniela Rivera (Maturin, Venezuela)continue to dominate as a pair, taking all nine matches together since late February. Emilia Alfaro (Azul, Argentina) and Mayya Gorbunova (Moscow, Russia) clinched the point with a 6-2 win.

Laylo Bakhodirova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) continued to dominate in conference play, taking the first match 6-1, 6-0 to stay perfect in conference play. Bakhodirova, Alfaro, Carvajal, and Yunuen Elizarraras (Cuernavaca, Mexico) each remain 5-0 in singles play against SoCon teams. Carvajal and Alejandra Morales (Santiago, Chile) got the next two singles wins to clinch the match after Samford stole a point.

Alfaro and Elizarraras each ended the morning with singles win as Alfaro took her match 6-3, 6-4 while Elizarraras ended it with a three-set comeback win (3-6, 6-2, 7-5).

The Bucs have won the last six meetings against the Bulldogs, dating back to 2016. ETSU starts 5-0 in conference play for the third time in as many applicable seasons (only played two conference games in 2020).

Going into the last two games of the season, the Bucs have won four straight and 12 of their last 13.

Singles Competition

1. #97 Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) def. R.J. Van Rensburg (SAM-W) 6-1, 6-0
2. Alejandra Morales (ETSU) def. Samantha Nanere (SAM-W) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
3. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) def. Alexis Lopez (SAM-W) 6-2, 6-4
4. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) def. Ally Hayduk (SAM-W) 6-3, 6-4
5. Sofia Zaprianov (SAM-W) def. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) 6-4, 6-2
6. Yunuen Elizarraras (ETSU) def. Lindsay Song (SAM-W) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Doubles Competition

1. R.J. Van Rensburg/Alexis Lopez (SAM-W) def. Laylo Bakhodirova/Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 6-3
2. Emilia Alfaro/Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU) def. Lindsay Song/Olivia Jablonski (SAM-W) 6-2
3. Fernanda Carvajal/Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Samantha Nanere/Sofia Zaprianov (SAM-W) 6-4

Match Notes: ETSU 14-7 (5-0 SoCon), Samford 10-7 (3-1 SoCon)

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

UP NEXT

The Bucs embark on their final road match of the season, travelling to UNCG on Friday, April 8 in Greensboro. Match time is set for 1:00 p.m.

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