The Lady Bucs’ tennis team was back in action this Sunday at home to face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. ETSU improved to 10-6 with their win over the Golden Eagles who fell to 1-6. The Lady Bucs are also undefeated in the SoCon with a 1-0 record.
ETSU started the match in doubles play with Sylwia Ziolkowska and Mariya Ilyina defeating Marina Tasheva and Alet Boonzaaier in the No. 1 slot, 8-4. “Number one played very well. They lost concentration but came back and won against a good doubles team,” coach Steve Brooks said. The ETSU women swept doubles with Gemma Halim and Jessica Irey defeating Melisa Cansado and Maja Russinova in the No. 2 slot, 8-5, while Aimee Villavicencio and Tatiana Arriaran tallied a victory through a default in the third slot.
The singles also went well for the ETSU Lady Bucs with four wins. The wins came from Halim in the No. 3 slot who defeated Margot Carter 3-6, 6-4, 10-6; Irey defeated Cansado 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 4 slot; and Ilyina defeated Russinova 6-4, 6-2 in the No. 5 slot. The fourth win was tallied through default in the No. 6 slot.
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles were able to capture two wins with one coming in the No. 1 slot, by Tasheva defeating Courtney McInnis 6-2, 6-4 and the second win coming in the No. 2 slot with Boonzaaier defeating Ziolkowska 4-6, 7-5, (8-10).
“Mid-season, we had such a great win at Campbell and the girls are tired from that. They are more frustrated, more irritable. The thing that I liked is that we hung in there and beat the team, and they were a good team,” Brooks said.
With Sunday’s win, Ilyina ties ETSU’s seventh place record for most single season wins. Ilyina, a freshman on the tennis team, now boasts a record of 21-5 with more matches to play. “We have 14 more to go … I am sure that she will climb past seventh place,” Brooks said.
The Lady Bucs’ schedule is full for the month of March. On March 21, the women’s tennis team will be at Cullowhee, N.C. to face Western Carolina. On March 23, they face Wofford before coming back to Johnson City to play Davidson on March 27.

Author