GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T women's tennis team played its second straight match in as many days, albeit in a different venue but could not change the result. The Aggies lost 5-2 to former Big South Conference foe Gardner-Webb on Wednesday at the Dudley High School Tennis Courts. 

The Aggies lost to Morgan State on Tuesday at the Piedmont Indoor Center in Greensboro. They are 3-4 on the season after losing their third straight. The Aggies again played with only five players as they await the return of their sixth player from injury. 

Still, the Aggies won three matches on Wednesday, including one doubles match as sophomore Cielo Tapia-Cruz and freshman Nuria Sanz defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs' duo of Maria Jardim and Courtney Fyvie 6-3. But when Manon Delsol and Emilia Roslund defeated freshmen Lana Caculovic and Nour Gueblaoui 6-1, the Bulldogs claimed the doubles point because the Aggies had to default at No. 3 doubles. 

Even though Gardner-Webb won three of the five singles matches played, to earn the win, those wins took work. GWU did get a boost by getting the default win at No. 6 singles. But then the Aggies started battling. But three of the singles matches went three sets. 

Caculovic and Sanz earned singles wins, both three-setters. Caculovic defeated Roslund 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at No. 1 singles to improve to 5-1 on the season. Caculovic won the first set easily, executing almost flawlessly in the process. 

"I lost energy in the second set while she started to fight and be much more focused," said Caculovic. "The third set was mentally difficult, but I entered with a great desire to win. I fought until the last ball, which led me to victory." 

Sanz took her victory at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-7, 1-0 (10-4 in the super tiebreaker) over Jardim to improve to 6-0 on the season. Sanz said she had some trouble with her serve and backhand but worked through those issues mentally to say focused for each point. She had a chance to win in two sets, leading 6-5 but admitted she did not take the opportunity. 

"That was a mistake," Sanz said. "After that, I played well. I came back to trust in my backhand, and I forgot about the mistakes that I made during the match. This time I took the opportunity to win the match." 

But the Aggies took a tough loss at No. 2 singles from Tapia-Cruz. Delsol defeated Tapia-Cruz 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. The Aggies also endured losses at No. 4 singles as Asima Sazan lost to Valeria Lloclla 7-6, 5-0, and No. 5 singles when Gueblaoui lost to Elise Semmartin 6-4, 6-3. 

The Aggies will try to get back on track with a home match against Norfolk State on Sunday, March 19, at the Dudley High School Tennis Courts at 1 p.m.