Women’s tennis rides first sweep to start 2-0

The ETSU women’s tennis team earned its first sweep of the 2013 season, marching past Liberty, 4-0, on Tuesday afternoon at the indoor courts of The Sports Complex in Lynchburg, Va.

The win moves ETSU to 2-0 for just the second time in the last six years.

The Lady Buccaneers’ last 2-0 start came in 2011, when they finished that year with a 15-7 record, won that year’s Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship and went on to compete against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

Liberty competed hard to level the doubles series at 1-1, but ETSU’s Salma Dahbi and Sofia Espana wrapped it up, 8-5.

The Lady Bucs took the next three singles matches in straight sets to seal the victory, with senior Antonia Kolvou, freshman Lyn Yee Choo and Dahbi all winning.

“It was good to get the victory today and continue to shake off the early-season nerves,” ETSU assistant coach Travis Sandlant said. “Salma was impressive in closing out the match. We look forward to this weekend and are expecting some competitive tennis from Akron.”

Choo and fellow freshman Anna Gerbasi continued to stay hot in doubles, winning 8-4, to move their 2012-13 season record to 12-6 overall, 2-0 dual. Liberty’s Brittany Yang and Jessie Boda were able to defeat junior Larn McShane and Kolovou in the No. 2 match, but Dahbi and Espana pulled through to give the Bucs the first point.

Kolovou got her revenge in singles, making easy work of Cameron Richard in the top match, 6-1, 6-0. The first-year Buccaneer has now won four straight singles contests and stands at 10-8 overall, 2-0 dual.

Choo and Dahbi followed, with the freshman handling Yang on court three, 6-2, 6-1, and Dahbi clinching the win at No. 5 singles over Nicola Wellman, 6-3, 6-4. Choo’s win moves her record to 15-6 overall, 2-0 dual, as she continues to lead the team in singles’ victories.

Meanwhile, Dahbi stands at 9-3 overall and starts her dual career at 1-0. Like Kolvou, Dahbi has also won her last four matches, while Choo has a team-high streak of five straight wins.

Junior Giulia Andreazza had her match in the No. 2 spot come to a stop just a game from victory, leading Rebekah Jenkins 6-4, 5-1. Gerbasi was up 3-0 in a third set versus Alexandra Sheeran at No. 4, while Espana was just underway at No. 6 with a 3-2 lead over Valerie Thong.