RALEIGH, N.C. – Action got underway at the College Ranked Spotlight, hosted by NC State, on Thursday night with two sessions of doubles play. The Yellow Jackets debuted two doubles teams in the tournament.
The format of doubles was a standard set match with the first two sessions of doubles marking the only matches scheduled to be played on the campus of NC State. Action shifts to the Cary Tennis Park beginning with singles on Friday.
Playing together competitively for the first time, Carol Lee and Kylie Bilchev rebounded in their second match, facing Duke’s Karolina Berankova and Elle Christensen. The Jackets grabbed the decision, 6-3, to split matches on the opening day. The pair fell in their first match, 6-2, to Texas’ No. 54 Nicole Rivkin and Taya Pachkaleva.
Mahak Jain and Alejandra Cruz pushed Virginia’s Hibah Shaikh and Sara Ziodato to the final point, but couldn’t pull out a win in the opening session, falling, 7-6 (2). Jain and Cruz faced off against South Carolina’s Elise Mills and Shahar Biran in the second match of the day, dropping a tight 6-4 decision.
Play continues on Friday with two sessions of singles matches. The Yellow Jackets open play beginning at 9 a.m.
RESULTS
Thursday, Sept. 21
No. 54 Nicole Rivkin/Taya Pachkaleva (Texas) def. Carol Lee/Kylie Bilchev (GT) 6-2
Hibah Shaikh/Sara Ziodato (Virginia) def. Mahak Jain/Alejandra Cruz (GT) 7-6 (2)
Carol Lee/Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Karolina Berankova/Elle Christensen (Duke) 6-3
Elise Mills/Shahar Biran (South Carolina) def. Mahak Jain/Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-4
SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 22
A-1 Singles Draw
No. 81 Mahak Jain (GT) vs. No. 2 Mary Stoiana (Texas A&M) – 9 a.m.
No. 9 Carol Lee (GT) vs. No. 80 Lily Jones (Michigan) – 9 a.m.
No. 42 Kylie Bilchev (GT) vs. No. 79 Alina Shcherbinina (Oklahoma) – 9 a.m.
A-2 Singles Draw
No. 87 Alejandra Cruz (GT) vs. Antonia Balzert (Miami) – 11 a.m.
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