Mount Olive suffered its first loss of the year, falling to Division I North Carolina Central 7-2 in non-conference women's tennis Thursday at Walker Tennis Center. Freshmen Maite Belloso and Paulina Delgado posted singles wins for the Trojans.
Mount Olive (3-1) fell behind 3-0 after doubles play. Delgado and Samara Paldinho almost pulled off a win at No. 3 doubles before falling 9-7.
Belloso won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 singles and Delgado won by an identical score at No. 6 singles. The two freshmen both remain unbeaten in singles play this year, Belloso at 4-0 and Delgado at 2-0.
Thursday's match was Mount Olive's first since the passing of John Neal Walker, for whom Walker Tennis Center is named.
Friday's scheduled contest against Fayetteville State, which has already been rescheduled twice, has been postponed a third time. A rescheduled date has not been announced.
Mount Olive resumes Conference Carolinas play Saturday as the Trojans play host to defending conference champion and nationally 42nd-ranked Erskine. Match time is 1 p.m. at Walker Tennis Center.
North Carolina Central 7, Mount Olive 2
Singles
1. PALKO,Olesya (NCCU) def. Molly Sue Lentini (MOC) 6-3, 6-4
2. NEKRASOVA,Ekaterina (NCCU) def. Francesca Ceppi (MOC) 6-0, 6-1
3. MUAMBA,Aissa (NCCU) def. Roxanne Chouinard (MOC) 6-0, 6-0
4. WOOD,Rebecca (NCCU) def. Samara Paldinho (MOC) 6-0, 6-1
5. Maite Belloso (MOC) def. AGUILAR,Julia (NCCU) 6-0, 6-1
6. Paulina Delgado (MOC) def. GATSON,Brianna (NCCU) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. PALKO,Olesya/MUAMBA,Aissa (NCCU) def. Molly Sue Lentini/Francesca Ceppi (MOC) 8-1
2. NEKRASOVA,Ekaterina/WOOD,Rebecca (NCCU) def. Roxanne Chouinard/Maite Belloso (MOC) 8-1
3. GATSON,Brianna/RAMIC,Mia (NCCU) def. Samara Paldinho/Paulina Delgado (MOC) 9-7
Records:
North Carolina Central 4-2
Mount Olive 3-1