CARY, N.C. – Juniors Eva Alvarez Sande and Maxine Murphy each captured their opening-round singles matches Saturday during the first day of play at the 2024 ITA All-American Championships at the Cary Tennis Park.
Alvarez Sande, who dropped her opening match at last year’s All-American Championships, made sure not to repeat that result. Facing Utah’s Kaila Barksdale, The Cougar junior jumped out fast, taking the first set 6-2. In the second, The two went back-or-forth before Barksdale escaped by taking a tiebreaker, 7-4, and forcing a third and deciding set. There, Alvarez Sande rode a break of serve to hold off Barksdale, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.
Murphy, a redshirt-junior playing her first collegiate event since 2023 after missing last season due to injury, started strong against Purdue’s Carmen Gallardo Guevara, taking the first set 6-1. Gallardo Guevara, seeded No. 9, rebounded in the second to take the set, 6-4. In the third, Murphy proved to be too strong as she closed out the match, winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, to advance to the second round.
Senior Elyse Tse could not overcome a service break in each set as she dropped a 6-4, 6-3 contest to Stetson’s Cheri Darley.
In doubles action, the Cougar duo of Alvarez Sande and Murphy dropped a tight battle against North Carolina’s Theadora Rabman and Alana Boyce, ranked No. 74 in the most recent ITA rankings. After dropping the first set 6-3, WSU rode a break of serve in the second to take the set 6-3, forcing a deciding tiebreak for the third set. In the breaker, The Tar Heel duo pulled away, winning 10-6 to take a 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 victory in the opening round.
Play continues Sunday at the All-American Championships, with Alvarez Sande and Murphy competing in the singles second round, while Tse will compete in the consolation draw. Alvarez Sande and Murphy will also compete in the doubles consolation bracket.
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