Women's Tennis | 3/1/2023 10:47:00 PM
Box Score CHARLOTTE, NC – Sophomore Cielo Tapia-Cruz used the power of encouragement to push through in a three-set grind that helped the North Carolina A&T women's tennis team continue its fantastic start to the 2023 season with a 4-3 win over Queens University of Charlotte, 4-3 at Howard Levine Tennis Center on Wednesday.
The Aggies team captain Tapia-Cruz had the stage set for her when freshman teammate Nuria Sanz defeated Amelie Allard in a lengthy three-setter, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. Sanz's victory tied the match at 3, with Tapia-Cruz still battling Hanna Axelsson at No. 2 singles on Court No. 2.
As Sanz celebrated, Tapia-Cruz tied the third set in her matchup with Axelsson at 3. Tapia-Cruz then broke Axelsson's serve to go up 4-3. She went on to win the third set 6-3 to win the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to clinch the win, moving the Aggies to 3-1 on the season.
"The match was amazing," said Tapia-Cruz. The team did a really good job in the matches. Everyone was fighting. When I got to the third set, it was really important that my teammates were with me, helping me and screaming to help me go up 4-3. I'm so happy and so proud of this team. It doesn't matter if we play five because we are five fighters."
Oh yeah. The Aggies are 3-1 and have not been at full-strength all season. They won their season opener with four players. They won their next two matches with five players. The absence of a sixth player allowed the Royals to win the doubles point.
Queens' Allard and Nyanique Tomegah defeated freshmen Lana Caculovic and Nour Gueblaoui 7-5. That left the Tapia-Cruz and Sanz doubles match against Jill Morse and Axelsson unfinished because the Royals had already claimed two doubles wins, with the Aggies defaulting at No. 3 doubles.
"I started so bad in doubles. I wasn't there mentally at the beginning, which made us down 4-1," said Gueblaoui. "But of course, we came back in the match, fought for the team, and came to 5-5, but sadly we lost. Doubles today was a lot better with my partner, but next time it will be better, and I will start fighting from the beginning."
The Aggies had a real fight ahead after doubles following Caculovic's loss to Morse at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2. With A&T defaulting at No. 6 singles, the Aggies trailed 3-0. But Gueblaoui defeated Tomegah 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, and freshman Asima Sazan defeated Kelsey Sinclaire 6-0, 6-1, setting the heroics of Sanz and Tapia-Cruz and No. 2 and 3 singles.
"Today, the team's support was essential," said Sanz. "The key to my match was my serve and staying focused and strong in the cross-court. But I really felt I wasn't alone. Screaming go Aggies, and having my back gives you a lot of strength to keep fighting."
The Aggies return to action at noon Saturday, March 4, as they head to Durham to face North Carolina Central.
