RALEIGH, N.C. — Wrapping up its opening weekend in North Carolina, the #10 Pepperdine women's tennis team fell 5-2 to the #14 NC State Wolfpack at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh on Sunday morning.
The middle of the Waves' (0-2) lineup mounted a comeback after losing the doubles point, but the Wolfpack (2-0) won straight-set matches across the lineup to quash Pepperdine's comeback hopes. Although NC State clinched the match on court six, the final match was played out and increased the Wolfpack's lead to 5-2.
Pepperdine had a few bright spots in singles play, notably freshman Anastasiia Grechkina's straight-set win over Kristina Paskauskas at the third position. In the first set, Grechkina broke Paskauskas to take a 5-3 lead, then served out the set to win 6-3. However, the second set was a closer affair. The match was played on serve until Grechkina broke Paskauskas in the ninth game to go up 5-4. In her final service game, the freshman won the match 6-3, 6-4 off of a long return from Paskauskas.
With the win, Grechkina is the first Wave to go 2-0 on the season. Both of her victories have been in straight sets.
After Pepperdine got on the board with Grechkina's win, the Wolfpack went up 3-1 with a win on court one. Needing to win all of the remaining matches, Pepperdine got a lift from #61 Vivian Yang, who bounced back from dropping the first set to beat Gabriella Broadfoot 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Both players traded 6-4 victories in the first two sets, but the third set saw Yang dominate from the get-go. Yang went up a break in the third game, then took a double break lead heading into her final service game. On deciding point, the lefty worked her way up to the net and won off a well-placed forehand drop shot that Broadfoot couldn't track down. In the final game, Broadfoot saved two match points to force another deciding point, but Yang sealed the win when Broadfoot netted a backhand return.
However, NC State went on to clinch the match on court six with #55 Gabia Paskauskas' straight-set win. Wolfpack sophomore Maddy Zampardo concluded the match with her three-set win on court five.
The Waves will return to Malibu for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kickoff Weekend, which starts this Friday with a match against Arizona. All scheduled updates can be found on the women's tennis team's schedule page at pepperdinewaves.com.
RESULTS
Singles
1. Michaela Laki (NCST) def. #13 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) 6-4, 6-4
2. Anna Zyryanova (NCST) def. #90 Liam Oved (PEPP) 6-1, 6-0
3. Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) def. Kristina Paskauskas (NCST) 6-3, 6-4
4. #61 Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. Gabriella Broadfoot (NCST), 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
5. Maddy Zampardo (NCST) def. #112 Alexia Harmon (PEPP) 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (10-4)
6. #55 Gabia Paskauskas (NCST) def. Taylor Goetz (PEPP) 6-0, 6-1
Order of finish: 2,3,1,4,6*,5
Doubles
1. #5 Maddy Zampardo/Gabriella Broadfood (NCST) def. #14 Savannah Broadus/Vivian Yang (PEPP), 6-2
2. Anna Zyryanova/Mia Slama (NCST) vs. Taylor Goetz/Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) 5-1, abandoned
3. Kristina Paskauskas/Michaela Laki (NCST) def. #101 Liam Oved/Alexia Harmon (PEPP), 6-0
Order of finish: 3,1*
