No. 12 NC State Tops No. 24 Jackets, 5-2 – Women’s Tennis — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

THE FLATS – No. 24 Georgia Tech won the doubles point, but it wasn’t enough as No. 12 NC State rallied back in singles play and the Yellow Jackets dropped a 5-2 decision Friday night. The loss moved Tech to 12-8 overall and 8-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Doubles
It took nearly an hour to decide the doubles point as Georgia Tech clinched the early lead, winning on courts two and three. NC State rallied to take court one, 7-5, leaving Tech needing the final two matches. On court two, Alejandra Cruz and Given Roach trailed 2-4 early against No. 17 Anna Zyryanova and Sophie Abrams, but the Jackets fought back to 4-4. Exchanging the next two games left the match on serve at 5-5 before Cruz and Roach won the next two games for a 7-5 victory.

All eyes turned to court three where Kylie Bilchev and Scarlett Nicholson battled Gabriella Broadfoot and Abigail Rencheli. The Jackets took a 5-4 lead over the Wolfpack, but the opponents worked to a 6-all standstill. Bilchev and Nicholson broke open a 3-3 tally in the breaker to gain a 5-3 advantage, and closed out the win, 7-6 (7-4), to clinch the doubles point and early lead for Georgia Tech.

Singles
NC State answered in singles play, winning five first sets and evening the match with a straight-set win on court one. The Wolfpack took their first and permanent lead of the match, pulling out a straight-set win on court six. Despite fighting off multiple match points, Sharabura fell to Abrams, 7-5, 6-4, setting up a 2-1 NC State lead. Zyryanova extended NC State’s lead on court three, topping Cruz, 7-5, 6-1.

Rencheli clinched the match for NC State on court two over Bilchev. The Wolfpack gained control early in the opening set, 5-2, before Bilchev rallied back to 5-4. But Rencheli gained the set lead, 6-4, and cruised in the second set, 6-3, to seal the match, 4-1.

NC State extended it’s lead from court five where Maddy Zampardo collected a win over Mahak Jain. Zampardo kept a close lead over Jain in the first set and held strong for the match, 6-3, 7-5.

Nicholson was the last to finish and collected Tech’s only singles point. Facing Gina Dittmann, Nicholson jumped out with a 4-1 lead in the first set before Dittmann climbed back. The pair worked to a 6-6 standstill and were tied at 5-5 in the tiebreak before the Jacket held for the next two points to take the first set, 7-6 (7-5). Nicholson and Dittmann tossed games back-and-forth in the second set. The Jacket proved victorious, 7-5, to pocket the match,…