GREENSBORO (February 26, 2017) – The North Carolina A&T women's tennis team secured their second win of the season with a 6-0 win over Livingstone College at Aggie Tennis Complex on Sunday afternoon. Later in the day the women lost to Georgia Southern, 4-0. N.C. A&T is now 2-7 on the season.
Junior Khalia Powell occupied the No. 1 singles spot for the Lady Aggies and picked up the point over Livingstone's Hadiyah Shaheer 6-0, 3-0. N.C. A&T Sophomore Angelica Martinez beat out Mariah Williams winning both sets 6-0 at the No. 2 singles spot. Play went similarly at the No. 3 singles spot for junior Nadia Hilton-Adams as she took the singles point for the Aggies over Tiffani Holland 6-0, 6-0. At singles spot No. 4 for the Lady Aggies, freshman Kiara Smolikova defeated Livingstone's J. Holloway 6-0, 6-0. Rounding out the singles play for the Aggies, freshman Kanishka Chawla took the win over Aaliyah Tucker at the No. 5 singles spot with a final score of 6-0, 6-0.
N.C. A&T took the doubles point.
“This was our first double-header of the season and it showed that we still need to work on the very things we are already working on, and the main thing is we need to be a little more aggressive at the net” said N.C. A&T coach William Crutchfield. “Our system of tennis is somewhat new to them but our players are responding and responding well. We are looking to get our players strong and healthy by the time the conference play rolls around; with our number one being injured, everyone else has to step up and play competitively out of their slots.”
In the second match of the day's doubleheader, North Carolina A&T women's tennis team lost to Georgia Southern 4-0. Despite a strong singles performance from Khalia Powell at the No. 1 position, the Eagles were able to clinch the competition with their fourth straight point.
Both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches were won by Georgia Southern 6-2 while Powell and Nadia Hilton-Adams remained competitive and Angelica Martinez and Klara Smolikova held on in the second doubles match. The No. 3 and No. 4 singles proved to be clinching matches for the Eagles as Mariana Ranzahuer defeated Hilton-Adams 6-2, 6-4 and Emilia Bujan won over Smolikova 6-4, 4-2. Meanwhile, at the No. 1 spot, Khalia Powell did get a win for the Aggies defeating Lindsay Truscott 6-4, 4-3, but not before the deciding matches had concluded.
N.C. A&T takes to the road for their next match against Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais, Ill., on March 6.
