Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – Competing for the first time at home during the spring 2022 campaign, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's tennis team clipped North Carolina Central, 4-3, in a non-conference match at the sun-splashed UNCG Tennis Courts Wednesday afternoon.
The match came down to the wire as UNCG's Erika Barquero won at No. 1 singles in three sets to clinch the contest. Barquero prevailed, 5-3, 4-6, 6-4. Also earning straight-set singles victories for the Spartans was sophomore Juliana Craft and freshman Olivia Gallagher.
UNCG swept the three double matches to earn what turned out to be the decisive point in the hard-fought contest.
"The third set was very competitive, and (NCCU's Jade Houston) played well," Barquero said. "It was just a matter of competing and figuring out what worked in the third set. Today was hard and tough. I couldn't play last year. Now, after two years and getting back to (competing) slowly, it's not easy or pretty. I am trying to work hard every single and win every single point, no matter what."
Craft and McCullough Perry got UNCG started in the winning direction with a 6-4 victory at No. 2 doubles. The UNCG No. 1 doubles tandem of Barquero and Ariana Chan also followed with a 6-4 victory. Chan and Barquero have won their doubles matches to start the season.
The afternoon's drama was at No. 3 doubles as Gallagher, and Hannah Mitchell squeezed out a 7-6 victory, ultimately decided in a 7-1 tiebreak.
For Gallagher, the two triumphs were sweet as she has battled adversity during her fledgling UNCG career.
"It's been a challenge," Gallagher said. "I've had my ups and downs with having surgery towards the end of October. I am very happy to be competing. It was questionable at some point. I am lucky to be competing and thankful for my teammates. Having their support makes it easier to come out here and get settled. Being here competing is better than sitting out."
Gallagher, a nursing major, was out for close to two months following surgery.
Even though she is still rehabbing her injury, Gallagher has worked hard to return. Gallagher admitted she wouldn't be fully recovered for another couple of months. Despite the discomfort, Gallagher, who started playing tennis when she was 8 years old, has competed with poise, persistence, and purpose early in the season.
Acting head coach Jeff Trivette has been impressed with Gallagher's competitive spirit.
"She knows how to play the game," Trivette said. "She's limited in what she can do. She's fighting through it and has done a good job learning how to compete with it. We talked about it before this match and exchanged some really good ideas on how she could work through it and stay focused on what she could do and not what she couldn't do. I am happy for her to get her first win and gain the confidence to move forward."
Meanwhile, the Spartans will take a 1-1 record to East Carolina for a Sunday match beginning at 1 p.m.
"The beginning of the season didn't go as planned," Trivette said. "We didn't get a chance to play some matches that we needed to get under our belts, and that hurt a bit. We're spending way too much time competing against each other in practice and not necessarily getting the matches against other opponents that are important for our development. We fought hard today under tough circumstances. They showed that they can win even when they aren't feeling 100 percent."
RESULTS
UNCG 4, North Carolina Central 3
Singles
Erika Barquero d. Jade Houston, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Kennedy Hill d.
Ariana Chan, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0
Juliana Craft d. Maria Picazo, 6-2, 6-2
Isabelle Exsted d.
Eugenia Camacho, 7-5, 6-3
Lafi Joao d.
Hannah Mitchell, 6-3, 6-3
Olivia Gallagher d. Anaiah Jones, 6-3, 6-0.
Doubles
Barquero and Chan d. Houston and Joao, 6-4
Craft and Perry d. Hill and Picazo, 6-4
Gallagher and Mitchell d. Exsted and Jones, 7-6 (7-1)
