STILLWATER, Okla. – Freshman Esha Velaga of the University of Pennsylvania women's tennis team completed her first day of the 2024 NCAA women's tennis championships.
 
The freshly crowned Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year and Penn's first singles qualifier since the 2019 season dropped her first-round match against the University of Southern California's Grace Piper 6-2, 6-1.
 
Velaga led the battle early, taking a 2-0 advantage, but Piper rallied back to win six straight games and take the first set, 6-2. The first-year Quaker fought back to start the second set, trailing only by one to give the Trojan trouble. However, Piper ultimately took the set 6-1 to clinch her spot in the second round.
 
Up Next
Velaga and doubles partner Eileen Wang open Round of 32 play in the 2024 NCAA Doubles Championship on Tuesday against Vanderbilt's Celia-Belle Mohr and Anessa Lee.