ELON, N.C. –
Ella Suk clinched a fifth straight victory for the Elon University women's tennis team on Sunday, as the freshman's win at No. 4 singles was the decisive point in a 4-3 triumph over Appalachian State at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
BOX SCORE (PDF)
The Phoenix dropped a heartbreaking doubles point but recovered in singles, winning four of the six matches to extend its winning streak.
Elon improved to 6-4 on the season with the victory, while the Mountaineers dropped to 3-4 with the loss.
THE RUNDOWN
- For the first time since Jan. 28, Elon did not convert the doubles point, as the Mountaineers squeaked past the Phoenix.
- The freshman tandem of Simone Bergeron and Ella Suk continued their stellar form, winning 6-3 at the No. 3 position in the first match to finish. The duo is 5-1 on the season, with all five of the wins coming at the No. 3 spot.
- The Mountaineers answered with a win at the No. 1 spot to keep their doubles hopes alive.
- With doubles coming down to the winner of the match on Court 2, reigning CAA Doubles Team of the Week Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding found themselves in a back-and-forth battle. The Phoenix trailed 5-2 in the match but rattled off three straight games to tie the set at 5-5. After losing the next game, they broke right back to force the match into a tiebreak.
- In the tiebreak, Cordisco and Reding fell behind 3-0 but worked their way back, eventually taking leads at 6-4 and 7-6. The duo then saved a match point against them at 8-7 before ultimately falling 11-9.
- The setback in doubles snapped a five-match streak of successful doubles points for the maroon and gold.
- Bergeron carried over her momentum from doubles into singles, as the freshman dropped just one game on her way to a 6-0, 6-1 victory at the No. 6 spot against Appalachian State's Peri Tippins. It was her second victory in singles this season, as she improved to 12-1 in games in her two completed matches.
- With a win on Court 5, Helen Sarikulaya moved the Phoenix ahead 2-1. The sophomore defeated Riley Collins 6-1, 6-3 for her fourth consecutive win. During her winning streak, Sarikulaya has dropped more than three games in just one of eight sets. It was her first win of the season playing the No. 5 position.
- Quickly after Sarikulaya won her match, Mariana Reding made it 3-1 for Elon with a 6-3, 6-0 triumph against Naledi Manyube. The freshman now leads the team with seven singles wins, the last two of which have come at the No. 3 spot in her first two appearances there.
- Appalachian State cut the Elon lead to 3-2 with a win at No. 2 singles.
- Needing just one more point to secure the win, Suk put herself in position to deliver that point with a strong performance on Court 4. The freshman won her first set against Brooke Gruber 6-4 and broke serve for a 5-3 lead in the second. She then served out the match in the next game to give the Phoenix the victory.
- This was the first time this season Elon has won a match when losing the doubles point. It was the first time Elon has accomplished this since its win against Campbell on Jan. 19, 2023.
- The Phoenix was victorious at all the Nos. 3-6 singles spots for the third time this season.
- Elon finishes its season-long six match homestand with a 5-1 record.
UP NEXT
Elon returns to the road for the first time in over a month on March 2 at Davidson. The match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
RESULTS
Singles
1. Savannah Dada-Mascoll (Appalachian State) def.
Sibel Tanik (Elon) 6-4, 6-4
2. Maggie Pate (Appalachian State) def.
Lizette Reding (Elon) 6-2, 6-1
3.
Mariana Reding (Elon) def. Naledi Manyube (Appalachian State) 6-3, 6-0
4.
Ella Suk (Elon) def. Brooke Gruber (Appalachian State) 6-4, 6-3
5.
Helen Sarikulaya (Elon) def. Riley Collins (Appalachian State) 6-1, 6-3
6.
Simone Bergeron (Elon) def. Peri Tippins (Appalchian State) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. Naledi Manyube/Savannah Dada-Mascoll (Appalachian State) def.
Sibel Tanik/
Lizette Reding (Elon) 6-3
2. Taya Powell/Maggie Pate (Appalachian State) def.
Madison Cordisco/
Mariana Reding (Elon) 7-6 (9)
3.
Simone Bergeron/
Ella Suk (Elon) def. Brooke Gruber/Brooke Demerath (Appalachian State) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,5,3,2,4,1)
--ELON--
