VCU Women’s Tennis comes back to beat East Carolina University, 5-2.

Andrew McGhan, Contributing Writer

Kyler Gilliam, Contributing Writer

The Rams opened their 2024 season with a highly competitive 5-2 victory against the East Carolina University Pirates on Friday, Jan. 19.

VCU head coach Vivian Segnini was pleased with how her team handled themselves during the match.

“I’m very happy and proud of this team,” Segnini said. “Obviously it was our first match of the season, so it’s always more challenging.”

The team is young, having four freshmen on the roster, and the most experienced on the team being two juniors, according to VCU Athletics.

Segnini said she felt happy with how the young players handled their matches by showing their high energy and intensity.

“I’m very proud of the energy that they brought today and the way they fought the whole match, and it’s good that we came out with the win, but I would be proud anyway because they had a really good attitude today,” Segnini said.

The first team to win two out of three doubles sets would be awarded the first point of the match.

In the first doubles set to conclude, ECU sophomore Kim Auerswald and junior Anna Lou Champion defeated VCU junior Anja Draskovic and freshman Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando 6-4.

ECU juniors Ines Bachir and Alisha Hussain won the second doubles match, beating VCU junior Yelizaveta Karlova and sophomore Emma Valletta 6-3.

Karlova didn’t feel upset about the outcome of the doubles match because it was a highly competitive back-and-forth match, she said. 

“I wasn’t sad or anything,” Karlova said. “I don’t even think that it was a bad thing to lose doubles because it was a great match, and we did what we could.”

ECU sophomore Joan Madi and junior Isabella Rivera Ortiz defeated VCU freshmen Tiziana Rossini and Emma Rizzetto 7-5 in the last doubles set.

With ECU winning all three of the doubles matches, they received the first point of the overall match going into the singles matches.

Andrade Sabando scored the Rams’ first point after defeating Bachir in a dominant first set 6-1 and a competitive second set 6-4, according to VCU Athletics. 

The match was Andrade Sabando’s first of the spring-season for VCU. Even after the victory the freshman knows she has areas in her game to improve on.

“I want to improve my volleys, and also, I want to improve my confidence inside on the court,” Andrade Sabando said.

The Pirates took back the lead after Auerswald defeated Draskovic 6-3 and 6-4 in straight sets, according to VCU athletics.

In the third singles match to conclude,Valletta defeated Hussain 6-4 in the first set and 7-5 in the second, making it an overall competitive match, according to VCU Athletics. 

Valletta’s victory tied the overall score at 2-2 for the Rams. 

The singles match between Karlova and ECU junior Martina Muzzolon was a back-and-forth match, with Karlova winning the first set 6-2, Muzzolon winning the second set 6-3 and Karlova winning the third set 6-2, according to VCU athletics. This match resulted in VCU having three points and ECU having two points.

Karlova wanted to focus on the mental side of the game entering her singles match, she said. 

“The goal to stay consistent and more relaxed mentally,” Karlova said.

The Rams now only needed one more singles win to clinch victory over the Pirates.

 VCU freshman Tiziana Rizzetto ended up clinching the win for the Rams after defeating ECU senior Kexuan Zhou in an impressive first set 6-3 and a competitive second set 7-5, according to VCU.

The last match to finish was between Rossini and ECU sophomore Joan Madi. Rossini defeated Madi 6-2 in the first set and 6-4 in the second, giving another point to the Rams, according to VCU athletics. 

VCU concluded the day with a victory, having five points, and ECU with two points.

The Rams’ next match will be at home against the North Carolina Central University Eagles on Friday, Jan. 26.