Cayla Cross and her North Carolina A and T Women's Tennis teammates turned in a stronger and more focused performance against East Carolina University, but despite their improvement from their last match against Shaw, North Carolina fell to East Carolina at Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center 7-0.
"We did better than our last match," said head coach James Dunwoody. "The effort's been good every day."
"I feel like we played really well, especially in doubles. Everybody improved from our last game," said junior Cross, the No. 1 singles player for A and T. "Everybody looked really good and gave it their all."
In other doubles action, Cross and Azeib Nigatu lost to Yilian Zhang and Danielle Terpko by an 8-0 final in the No. 1 match.
The singles match that Cross fought perhaps best represented the overall performance of the North Carolina A and T Women's Tennis team. She fought hard to the end, working each ball to get a point. She showed discipline and focus, but just was not able to overcome her opponent.
"The first set I was really frustrated with myself because I just felt like I was doing everything I could, but I still wasn't getting any games. They would be getting to deuce but I wasn't able to close, so that's why the first set was 6-1," said Cross.
Cross continued, "The second set, I was down, 40-love and was still frustrated. Something told me to just not give up. I got one, then I got two, then I got three, then I got four, and then I got down 5-4 and I thought 'Oh god, all of that just to get right back down,' then I got five. Then she won the next two...there was a lot of tension, you could tell."
The next game day for North Carolina A and T will be Friday, Feb. 17 in which they play their first doubleheader of the season. The Aggie North Carolina A and T will host Fayetteville State at 1 p.m., and then will take on MEAC opponent Norfolk State at 6 p.m.
Cross concluded, "I think we're playing Norfolk second, and that's the game that really matters, I feel that the first game will be a great warm-up for the second. And that win's really important to us."
