ELON, NC – North Carolina A&T saw its two-match winning streak in women's tennis end in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play on Wednesday with a 4-0 loss to the Delaware Blue Hens at Elon University's Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The Aggies lost for the first time this season when at full strength.   

The Aggies ran into a red-hot Blue Hens team and could not slow down their momentum as A&T dropped to 5-5 on the season and 1-2 in conference play. The Blue Hens have won 13 of their last 14, including beating Elon earlier in the day to improve to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in league play.  

Delaware clinched the doubles point when Maryia Hrynashka and Julieta Honrubia defeated Asima Sazan and Nour Gueblaoui at No. 3 doubles, 6-2. The Blue Hens also won at No. 1 doubles as Adel-Byanu Abidullina and Eliza Askarova defeated Lana Caculovic and Isabela Romanichen 6-0. 

After Delaware clinched the No. 3 doubles point, the No. 2 doubles match between A&T's Cielo Tapia-Cruz and Nuria Sanz and Delaware's Isabella Montana and Alina Vasilenko went unfinished with the Delaware duo leading 4-3. 

Tapia-Cruz and Sanz also saw their respective singles matches go unfinished. Tapia-Cruz lost her first set to Vasilenko 6-4 at No. 2 singles before taking a 4-3 lead in the second set before the match ended. Sanz appeared headed toward a 9-0 record before her singles match at No. 3 stopped with her leading Hrynashka 6-3, 4-3. 

"I worked so hard today," said Sanz. "I played well, working hard with my crosscourt shots and aggressive forehand. My serve also was so good and gave me some breaks to win some games in a row. My mentality was good too. I felt relaxed and focused on every point. I was capable to forget and start after each point. I stayed positive and trusted in my game."

At No. 6 singles, A&T's Asima Sazan's won the first set against Santianna Chrysopoulo 6-2. She trailed 5-1 in the second before Delaware clinched the win. 

In the completed matches, Caculovic lost at No. 1 singles to Abidullina 6-2, 6-0. Honrubia defeated Romanichen 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, and Montana defeated Gueblaoui 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. The loss by Caculovic snapped her four-match winning streak as she dropped to 6-2 on the season. 

A&T travels to Lenoir-Rhyne to face the Bears at 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, at the YMCA of Catawba Valley.