CHARLESTON, S.C. – Women's Tennis opened their 2024 season on Saturday afternoon and were able to cruise past East Carolina by a final score of 6-1. This marked the Bucs' second-ever victory over the Pirates in school history with the first one coming last year.
 
Charleston Southern got the first point of the day securing the first two doubles matches to secure the early lead. The Bucs got wins on courts #1 and #3 with the topflight decision being the clincher in it. Jessica Braun and Marina Skegro won 6-4 at #3 and Anastasia Astakhova got theirs at 6-3. The Pirates won on court #2 with a 6-4 score.
 
During singles play, the Buccaneers continued to roll along winning the first four matches to conclude all coming by straight set decisions. Amila Jusufbegovic provided the match point from court #2 with a score of 6-4, 6-1. The last match to conclude went to a third set and it was at #4 with Astakhova winning it at 6-0, 6-7, 10-8.
 
The team returns to action tomorrow afternoon to face Wofford (0-1). The first serve is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. against the Terriers from the Gary Clark Banks Sr. Tennis Center.
 
Charleston Southern 6, East Carolina 1
Singles Competition
1. BRAUN, Jessica (CSU) def. Ines Bachir (ECU) 6-3, 7-5
2. JUSUFBEGOVIC, Amila (CSU) def. Martina Muzzolon (ECU) 6-4, 6-1
3. Kim Auerswald (ECU) def. BOYD, Noa (CSU) 7-6, 6-1
4. ASTAKHOVA, Anastasia (CSU) def. Kexuan Zhou (ECU) 6-0, 6-7, 1-0 (10-8)
5. SKEGRO, Marina (CSU) def. Alisha Hussain (ECU) 6-1, 6-4
6. SINGH, Khyanna (CSU) def. Anne Lou Champion (ECU) 6-2, 7-5
 
Doubles competition
1. ASTAKHOVA, Anastasia/SINGH, Khyanna (CSU) def. Ines Bachir/Alisha Hussain (ECU) 6-
2. Martina Muzzolon/Kexuan Zhou (ECU) def. JUSUFBEGOVIC, Amila/BOYD, Noa (CSU) 6-4
3. BRAUN, Jessica/SKEGRO, Marina (CSU) def. Kim Auerswald/Anne Lou Champion (ECU) 6-
 
Match Notes:
East Carolina 0-1
Charleston Southern 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,6,2,1,3,4)