The Troy women’s tennis team collected their eighth-consecutive conference victory 5-2 over Coastal Carolina this past Friday.
The Trojans’ historic regular season ended on a high note as they secured a double bye in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Troy also got revenge from last year when Coastal Carolina quickly defeated them 6-1 to end the 2023 season.
“They’ve been playing really good all season, it’s the last home match, and we all wanted revenge from last year,” said head coach Rawia Elsisi.
Kristina Kukaras and Emilia Namyslo started the Trojans off with a 6-2 win on court one and sophomores Maria Guirguis and Valeriia Avdeeva clinched the doubles point for the Trojans 6-4 on court two.
Elsisi also noted the importance of winning the doubles point in their eight-game winning streak.
“Starting on the doubles is pretty key because it gives us a lead early to hold on to,” Elsisi said.
The Trojans are 12-0 this season when jumping out to the early 1-0 lead.
Freshman standout Leena Metwally quickly added to the Trojan lead with her 6-2, 6-3 win on court five. Metwally finishes her regular season with a 15-4 record and a 7-3 record in conference play.
After back-to-back Chanticleer victories on courts two and three, Gabrielle Leslie retook the lead for the Trojans with her eighteenth victory of the year 6-4, 6-3 on court six. The Prairie A&M transfer only dropped one match all year going 18-1 and 8-1 in Sun Belt play.
Avdeeva clinched the Troy victory with her gritty 7-6 (9-7), 7-5 win on court four. Avdeeva has won her last four conference matches heading into the Sun Belt Tournament and finishes the season with a 6-3 conference record.
Senior and team captain Kukaras also battled back in her match after dropping the first set to win her final home match 0-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Although this is Kukaras’ final regular season match as a player, Elsisi and the team are thrilled to have her back next year as a graduate assistant.
“It will be sad to see her off the court next year but she’s going to be with us coaching next year,” Elsisi said.
The final score ended up 5-2 Troy to close the regular season.
This win over Coastal Carolina caps off a season in which the Trojans broke their record for conference wins in a season since joining the Sun Belt in 2004.
“I’m very proud this team is doing it and not any other team, the chemistry on this team is unmatchable,” Elsisi said. “I’m very thankful for these players and the coaching staff.”
The Trojans head into postseason play with a 15-6 overall record, a 9-2 conference record and an eight-match win streak.
They will face off against a yet-to-be-determined opponent as a three-seed in the quarterfinal round of the tournament in Rome, Georgia at 1 p.m. on April 26.
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