Women's Tennis Falls Short in Season Opener Facing Georgia Tech

ATLANTA— Entering the 2023 spring season of competition, Georgia State women's tennis fell short, 7-0, in a road meeting with in-state foe No. 25 Georgia Tech at Ken Byers Tennis Complex on Friday. The Panthers will look to regroup in the week ahead as first-year head coach Le'Trone Mason and the team prepares for back-to-back road matches in Tennessee next weekend.

Mason begins his tenure as head coach for Georgia State women's tennis after serving a year as assistant for the Panthers in 2022. Mason helped guide the team to a 17-6 record and a share of the regular-season Sun Belt Conference title a season ago.

The Panthers opened the match with a doubles outing that saw courts No. 1 and No. 2 drop, 6-0, as Georgia Tech secured the early point. Coming off a season earning All-Sun Belt First-Team honors in 2022 and returning for a fifth year for GSU, Eva Chiva played the top court alongside sophomore partner Pragnya Kumar as the pair faced No. 53 ranked Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura of Georgia Tech.

Graduate transfer Michelle Ncube partnered with junior returner Ellie Aldrich at the second court but ultimately came up short as the Yellow Jackets earned the doubles point with the win on court No. 2. A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Ncube joins the Panthers for 2023 looking to make an immediate contribution.

Senior Alexia Alvarez and freshman newcomer Maria Paredes partnered at the third court and ended at a count of 3-3 before the match was suspended following the pair of 6-0 decisions at courts No. 1 and No. 2. Paredes joins the Panthers' roster as a native of Murcia, Spain and enters her collegiate tenure following the match on Friday.

The Panthers entered singles play 1-0 down and set to face four ITA nationally ranked players. Chivu battled No. 10 Lee at the top singles spot before dropping a 6-0, 6-3, decision and GSU fell behind, 2-0.

Kumar faced No. 104 Alejandra Cruz and fell, 6-2, 6-0, as GSU dropped the fourth court. 3-0 down, Paredes fell short, 6-1, 6-3, against No. 109 Mahak Jain at the third court clinching the match in Georgia Tech's favor.

Playing out Friday's match, GSU dropped on courts No. 5, No. 6 and No. 2 and the Panthers ended the outing with a loss, 7-0. GSU begins the season 0-1 following the defeat.

GSU returns to action next weekend with matches on the road facing Lipscomb on Friday, Jan. 27 followed by Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 28. Information regarding live stats and streaming will be announced on the team's social media and on the web.

Follow Georgia State women's tennis on Twitter (@GSUWTennis) and Instagram (@GSUWomensTennis) for news and updates throughout the season as the team begins its 2023 campaign.

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Players Mentioned

Pragnya Kumar: Sophomore

Maria Paredes: 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Pragnya Kumar
: Sophomore

Maria Paredes
: 5' 7"; Freshman