The weekend’s rainy weather failed to stop the Virginia women’s tennis team from extending its recent win streak as the No. 18 Cavaliers beat No. 45 Virginia Tech 7-0 Sunday in Charlottesville.
The match against the Hokies was Virginia’s (10-2) sixth consecutive victory and marks the first time in program history the squad has started conference play 3-0.
Originally scheduled to be played at the Snyder Tennis Center, the match was moved to the Boyd Tinsley Tennis Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. Because of the fast nature of the indoor play, the Cavaliers had to reevaluate their playing strategy. The team proved itself capable of handling tougher challenges as it swept the in-state rival Hokies, but the Cavaliers’ dominance was not evident until after the doubles matches.
“Virginia Tech really came out with more intensity than we did to start the match,” Virginia coach Mark Guilbeau said. “The doubles was quite impressive from their end. Sometimes you have to ask your kids for a little more, and they responded well. I think they see the positives and all the benefits that come from really taking care of the details, being intense, and giving their best effort.”
The team’s response led to three close doubles matches that all ended in the Cavaliers’ favor. The No. 1 Virginia doubles team of junior Jennifer Stevens and freshman Emily Fraser took down Virginia Tech senior Jessica Brouwer and sophomore Holly Johnson 9-7 while the Cavaliers’ No. 2 pair of sophomore Neela Vaez and senior Amanda Rales held on through a tiebreaker to put away freshman Martha Blakely and senior Inga Beermann 9-8 (3). At the No. 3 spot, Virginia freshman Claire Bartlett teamed up with senior Maggie Yahner to defeat Hokie sophomore Yasmin Hamza and senior Abbey Walker 8-4 to secure the doubles point for the host team.
In the singles competition, Fraser guarded her spot at No. 1 on Virginia’s ladder by producing a 6-3, 6-4 win against Virginia Tech’s Beermann. Fraser has continued to show that her minimal amount of college play compared to other players on the squad does not reflect her level of ability.
“I don’t really think about the age or the year of any of the players I’m playing against,” Fraser said. “I try to put all the little details aside and bring everything I have, and hopefully I’ll do well.”
Performing well at the No. 1 position usually is no easy feat for an athlete new to the collegiate world, but Fraser’s persistent attention to detail has aided in the transition. The freshman has been working with the Virginia coaching staff to strengthen every aspect of her game, focusing most on her serve.
“Coming into school, I struggled a lot with my serve,” Fraser said. “Under [Guilbeau’s and assistant coach Troy Porco]’s coaching, it’s really starting to come together more and I’ve been working on it a lot on my own.”
Another freshman who got a taste of victory against the Hokies was Bartlett, who topped her singles opponent Johnson 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 5 slot. Despite her success, Bartlett’s spring season has been a bit more challenging than her teammates’, after only competing in a limited number of matches this fall.
Bartlett “has been everything we were hoping for her to be,” Guilbeau said. “It’s tough because she has to come in here quickly not having quite as much preparation but she’s been unbelievable. What a lot of folks don’t know that aren’t directly involved in the program is the extra work that she’s doing outside of our day-to-day practice.”
In addition to Bartlett and Fraser, Stevens, Hardenbergh, Rales and Vaez all defeated their Virginia Tech opponents in singles competition.
The Cavaliers’ conference schedule continues next weekend as the team faces Georgia Tech and Clemson on the road.
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