Hokie ClubBERKELEY, Calif. – Tech falls short of its second ACC win in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Cal Golden Bears on Sunday afternoon.
The afternoon started with a doubles sweep for the Hokies, as they took all three courts. Freshmen Elizaveta Castillo and Alston Myatt started with a 6-4 win for their first doubles win this season. No. 45-ranked Arina Gamretkaia and Özlem Uslu followed closely behind with their own 6-4 win to clinch the doubles point.
On Court 2, Mila Mulready and Linda Ziets-Segura finished the sweep with a 7-5 win. The duo was down 4-5 in the match and battled for three straight game points to secure the win.
With a 1-0 lead going into singles, Tech was looking to continue its momentum. Cal quickly tied the match as Myatt retired after the first set. The Golden Bears found their second point after Uslu fell to No. 11 Berta Passola Folch, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Ziets-Segura tied the match at 2-2 with her third singles win of the season, defeating Anya Murthy on Court 6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
Gamretkaia found her first-ranked win of the season as she defeated No. 84 Mao Mushika in three sets, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 to put the Hokies back ahead 3-2.
Up 3-2 in the match, Mulready and Castillo were battling on their respective courts. Mulready had battled back from a 6-3 first-set loss to take the second set, 6-4. She ultimately fell in the deciding set 6-2, tying the match for Cal.
Castillo was fighting in the second set of her match, after dropping the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6(4). Despite being down throughout the second set, she battled to bring it to 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. She was unable to force a third set, falling 8-6 in the tiebreaker of the second set.
UP NEXT:
The Hokies return home for their final dual matches of the regular season. Tech will host No. 10 NC State on Friday, April 10, at 3 p.m. and No. 68 Wake Forest on Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m.