Bucs fall for the first time since January

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 5, 2023) – In a battle of nationally-ranked opponents, the No. 68 ranked ETSU women’s tennis team saw its six-match winning streak come to an end in a 7-0 road loss to No. 4 NC State in Raleigh, N.C.

The Bucs (8-4) went 36 days without suffering a loss but met their toughest opponent of the season with a No. 4 ITA ranking, three nationally-ranked singles players and the No. 5 nationally-ranked doubles team in the nation consisting of Nell Miller and Amelia Rajecki.

NC State (10-1) won both doubles matches for the first point, then went on to win the top four singles matches in straight sets. Despite losses in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, both Daniela Rivera (Maturin, Venezuela) and Ralitsa Alexandrova (Sofia, Bulgaria) forced 7-5 sets.

Rivera had the most exciting match of the day, winning 6-3 in the first frame before falling 7-5 and 1-0 in the final two. The tiebreaker was about as close as can be, ending 10-8.

Alexandrova and Emilia Alfaro (Azul, Argentina) also had a back-and-forth doubles match going before the point was clinched, tied 4-4 as the match went unfinished in the No. 3 spot.

Rivera and ETSU’s top flight player Laylo Bakhodirova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) both parted ways with seven-match win streaks today, while Alexandrova ended a five-match win streak. Bakhodirova remains 9-3 on the season in the top flight, facing the No. 17 ranked player in the nation — Rajecki — and falling in a competitive 6-2, 6-4 bout.

Coming up next, ETSU will open Southern Conference play on Friday, March 10 at home against NC State. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at the Dave Mullins Tennis Complex. 

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