Opening its NCAA Tournament run at home, No. 7 Virginia put on a dominant performance against visiting Saint Francis Saturday afternoon, winning the dual in just 93 minutes. The Cavaliers (22-5, 12-0 ACC) dominated the Red Flash (16-9, 9-1 NEC) in both singles and doubles, and will face No. 22 Washington in the tournament’s second round Sunday at 1 p.m.
Virginia lost only two games in doubles, quickly getting off to a 1-0 start.
On Court 1, No. 10 graduate student Melodie Collard and junior Vivian Yang opened the dual with a resounding 6-0 win, looking unstoppable against their Saint Francis opponents as they breezed towards victory. Then, the Cavaliers' Court 2 pairing of No. 25 senior Annabelle Xu and sophomore Martina Genis Salas ended doubles play with a smooth 6-1 win, taking control of the set early and ending doubles play after just around half an hour of play.
As Virginia took a 1-0 lead, Court 3’s doubles match was left unfinished. Senior Meggie Navarro and freshman Katie Rolls were leading 5-1 at the time of completion, closing in on another dominant victory for the Cavaliers.
In singles, Virginia looked equally dominant. The Cavaliers took all six available first sets, dropping a combined six games in the process.
The first singles point of the day was scored on Court 5, where Genis Salas beat her opponent 6-0, 6-1 in dominant fashion, playing clean, mistake-free tennis and keeping Red Flash junior Reagen Mangan out of the rallies entirely. Mangan’s lone game across both sets came when she trailed 4-0 in the second set, but Genis Salas responded with a break and a four-point hold to put Virginia up 2-0.
Not long afterwards, Virginia got up 3-0, as Collard finalized a straight-set victory on Court 4. Hitting first and second serves with precision and confidence, and opening up rallies with precise slices, Collard hit a service winner on deuce to end the first set at 6-1, then carried her momentum into the second, winning it 6-3.
As Collard celebrated her quick win, the top two courts were both in position to clinch the dual. On Court 1, No. 65 Yang had taken the first set 6-2, and led 5-0 in the second, feasting on her opponent’s serve all day despite making a few too many unforced errors that extended games. On Court 2, No. 84 Rolls was up 4-0 in the second set, having taken the first 6-0 against senior Kelly Dowuona, who struggled to make any offense against Rolls’ pace and pressure.
As Yang’s opponent — sophomore Dasha Chichkina — held to make it 5-1, Rolls broke Dowuona to put herself one game from victory. Minutes later, Rolls ended the dual with a hard-hit backhand as she approached the net, icing the match and sending the Cavaliers to the second round of the tournament.
At the time, Yang had just had her serve broken by Chichkina, making a couple of unforced errors that extended games. On Court 3, No. 119 Lacy had broken away in the first set to win it 6-2 and was trailing 4-2 in the second. Entering the lineup due to No. 28 Xu not playing singles, junior Blanca Pico Navarro was up 4-3 in the second set, having won the first 6-1.
With the win, the Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the 64-team NCAA Tournament, and will face the Huskies (20-5, 9-4 Big Ten) at the Boar’s Head Resort at 1 p.m. Sunday. Coming off a 4-0 win over Liberty, Washington is a tough matchup that dominated a number of Big Ten teams, including a 4-1 win over now-No. 25 Wisconsin, but struggled to beat any of the conference’s top teams.
Led by No. 53 senior Reece Carter and No. 89 senior Erika Matsuda, the Huskies also have a former Virginia player on their roster in sophomore Karolina Kozakova, who played for the Cavaliers last season before transferring to Washington. Kozakova played on Court 6 Saturday, winning her match 6-2, 6-1.
Should Virginia win Sunday’s match against Washington, they will face the winner of No. 10 LSU and No. 42 Rice, who play at 3 p.m.
Read More
Virginia lacrosse’s ‘peaceful warrior’ emerges from the wings
By Adair Reid | 3 hours ago“He is the best communicator I think I've ever had for a captain,” Tiffany said. “His emotional intelligence is through the roof, and yet he's a ferocious warrior … it almost feels like a spiritual lift as well.”
This time in ACC Tournament, Virginia dethrones Notre Dame
By Michael Liebermann | 13 hours agoVirginia will now almost certainly host a first-round game, crucial in its chances of reaching Championship Weekend at Scott Stadium.
No. 5 men’s tennis marches on after stylish win over Rider
By Noah Cinel | YesterdayThe Cavaliers advanced to the Round of 32, where they will face No. 26 Columbia.
