Bakhodirova wins twice in 4-2 loss at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 29, 2023) – For the third straight match, ETSU women’s tennis faced a Power 5 opponent and had a competitive bout. Despite winning the doubles point in a sweep, the Bucs fell 4-2 against Virginia Tech on Sunday in Blacksburg.

The Bucs fall to a 2-3 record, while Virginia Tech improves to 3-0 after its close win over ETSU and a 7-0 sweep of Davidson.

Senior Laylo Bakhodirova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) won both of her matches from the top flight, including a 6-4 win in doubles with Mariya Shumeika (Minsk, Belarus) over VT’s top pair — Daryia Radulova and Ozlem Uslu. Bakhodirova and Radulova also competed in No. 1 singles with Bakhodirova winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

Also winning in doubles was sophomore Daniela Rivera (Maturin, Venezuela) and redshirt junior Maria Fernanda Carvajal (Queretaro, Mexico) in the No. 2 spot, taking down Erika Cheng and Sabina Richtrova, 6-2. With the doubles point in hand, the third flight result was unnecessary, but Emilia Alfaro (Azul, Argentina) and Yunuen Elizarraras (Cuernavaca, Mexico) led 5-4 before their match was called.

Virginia Tech won the first two singles points to surge back ahead, but Bakhodirova’s single point tied the match back up. From there, VT was able to win the match with victories in the No. 2 and No. 6 spots. Rivera was in the third set of No. 5 singles as the match was clinched, going unfinished with the score 2-6, 6-1, 4-5 against Cheng.

Bakhodirova improves to a 3-2 record at No. 1 singles this season. Meanwhile, the pairs of Bakhodirova/Shumeika and Rivera/Carvajal all earn their third doubles wins of the season.

ETSU finishes up a season-opening seven-match road stretch next weekend in Nashville, facing Lipscomb and Belmont. The Bisons are up first on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m., followed by the Bruins on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.

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

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