In its last match before the ITA Team Indoor Championships, No. 15 Virginia lost a decisive Sunday dual against No. 10 Ohio State. The Buckeyes (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) swept the Cavaliers (6-2, 0-0 ACC), taking the doubles point then quickly winning in straight sets on three singles courts, ending the match in just a minute over two hours.
The loss, Virginia’s second of the season, followed a similar trajectory to its first of the season — a Jan. 19 road loss at No. 3 Carolina. Ohio State took the doubles point and then quickly took the advantage in singles, winning the first set on five of six courts.
In doubles, the Cavaliers fielded its top two teams, then changed its third. The new pairing of sophomore Isabelle Lacy and freshman Katie Rolls, their first time playing together in a competitive match, worked well and won a quick 6-1 victory on Court 3. The top two doubles courts, however, both suffered losses. Graduate student Melodie Collard and junior Vivian Yang lost a 6-3 battle on the top court, while senior Annabelle Xu and sophomore Martina Genis Salas lost 6-2 on Court 2. The Cavaliers entered the singles portion of the dual trailing 1-0, their second time losing the doubles point this season.
Then, in a turn of events not unlike Virginia’s loss to the Tar Heels (7-0, 0-0 ACC), the Buckeyes quickly struck in singles. No. 68 sophomore Nao Nishino quickly took a 6-3, 6-0 victory over No. 52 Genis Salas on Court 3, dictating tempo and creating advantages consistently. With Ohio State having won five of six possible first sets, the 2-0 lead quickly forecasted an Ohio State victory.
Not long after, Rolls lost a 6-2, 6-4 match on Court 6, getting broken early and never finding her way back into the match. The dual wrapped up shortly afterwards on Court 1, as No. 10 junior Luciana Perry outplayed No. 30 Yang for a 6-2, 6-4 verdict, completing the Buckeyes’ sweep.
Of the three unfinished courts, Virginia had lost the first set in two and led on one, while trailing or being tied in the second. After losing the first set, No. 125 Lacy was trailing 5-4 on Court 4 at the time of completion, while No. 20 Xu was tied on Court 2 in a 4-4 second set with No. 14 junior Teah Chavez, having lost the first 6-3. Collard, the only Cavalier to win their first set, was trailing 5-4 in the second, having taken the first 6-2.
Though losing the doubles point certainly placed Virginia at a disadvantage, Ohio State’s success in singles ultimately led to the match’s lopsided score and time of completion. Losing five of six first sets, all by a score of either 6-3 or 6-2, meant that the Cavaliers were playing from behind at a deficit that would make a comeback nearly impossible — with all three completed singles courts seeing Buckeyes players win early breaks. With five lost first sets and points being scored on Courts 1, 3 and 6, the entire lineup was outmatched on the day against a strong Ohio State squad.
The Cavaliers will now travel to Evanston, Ill. for the ITA Team Indoor Championships, a 16-team tournament running Feb. 6-10. Both Ohio State and North Carolina will be at the tournament as well, though Virginia will not face either early in the draw. With conference play beginning Feb. 18, the Team Indoor Championships will be a valuable opportunity for the Cavaliers to gain more experience against other top programs, improving their level before a spring push towards the ACC Championships in April.
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