DURHAM, N.C. – The Savannah State University women's tennis team (3-13, 1-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) won its first conference match of the season with a 5-2 victory over North Carolina Central University (0-16, 0-4 MEAC) Monday.
 
Savannah State won the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead.  SSU doubles duo of freshmen Shakendra Alston and Ekaterina Vorobeva defeated NCCU's doubles duo of Emily Pena and Lauren Mullis 6-2 at the No. 3 doubles position, but Central tied the doubles point after Jamie Rodgers and Polina Sakharova defeated junior Sansriti Ranjan and freshman Muskaan Ranjan 6-2 at the No. 1 doubles position.
 
The doubles point came down to the No. 2 position as SSU's doubles duo of freshman Sofia Shut'ko and senior Rachida El Kateb defeated NCCU's doubles duo of Maru Berghaus and Sofia Miller 6-2 to give the Lady Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Lady Tigers increase their lead to 2-0 after Muskaan Ranjan defeated Sakharova 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 3 singles position and took a 3-0 lead after her sister, Sansriti Ranjan, defeated Miller 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 4 singles position.
 
The Eagles got on the board after Rogers defeated Vorobeva 6-0, 7-5 at the No. 1 singles position to cut the lead 3-1 and cut the lead to 3-2 after Berghaus defeated Shut'ko 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 2 singles position.
 
The senior, El Kateb, clinched the match for the Lady Tigers after a 6-0, 6-0 win over Mullis at the No. 6 singles position and Savannah State won the final match as Alston defeated Pena 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 5 singles position.
 
The win snapped an 18-conference match losing streak with the last conference win against North Carolina A&T State University on March 8, 2014, a 4-3 win in Florence, S.C.  However, the Lady Tigers have won a couple of matches against MEAC opponents in a non-conference battle, including a 6-1 win over Norfolk State earlier this season.
 
The Lady Tigers host Florida A&M University for the home finale Wednesday at 10 a.m. for Senior Day.  Senior Day activities start at 9:50 a.m.
 
Savannah State 5, North Carolina Central 2
Singles
1. Jamie Rogers (NCCU) d. Ekaterina Vorobeva (SSU) 6-0, 7-5
2. Maru Berghaus (NCCU) d. Sofia Shut'ko (SSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Muskaan Ranjan (SSU) d. Polina Sakharova (NCCU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) d. Sofia Miller (NCCU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Shakendra Alston (SSU) d. Emily Pena (NCCU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Rachida El Kateb (SSU) d. Lauren Mullis (NCCU) 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish (3,4,1,2,6,5)
 
Doubles
1. Jamie Rodgers/Polina Sakharova (NCCU) d. Sansriti Ranjan/Muskaan Ranjan (SSU) 6-2
2. Sofia Shut'ko/Rachida El Kateb (SSU) d. Maru Berghaus/Sofia Miller (NCCU) 6-2
3. Shakendra Alston/Ekaterina Vorobeva (SSU) d. Emily Pena/Lauren Mullis (NCCU) 6-2
Order of Finish (3,1,2)
 
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