Olivia Taylor/Virginia Athletics
UVA Women's Tennis Clinches Bid to ITA National Indoor Championships
The Cavaliers are headed to Seattle.
For the second season in a row and the third time in the last four years, the Virginia women's tennis team has qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship by virtue of UVA's 4-1 victory over South Carolina in the championship match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend at Boar's Head Sports Club on Saturday.
The match started with some heated doubles play, as all three of the doubles matches were closely contested. UVA's team of Julia Adams and Melodie Collard outlasted South Carolina's Ayana Akli and Gracie Mulville 7-6 (7-2) on court 1 and then Natasha Subhash and Annabella Xu followed that up with another tiebreaker victory, defeating Allie Gretkowski and McKenna Schaefbauer 7-6 (7-4) to clinch the doubles point for Virginia. The court 3 match between Elaine Chervinsky/Sara Ziodato and Elise Mills/Alice Otis was tied 6-6 when doubles play was suspended.
Elaine Chervinsky earned a 6-1, 6-3 win over Elise Mills on court 3 to make it 2-0 in favor of the Cavaliers. The Gamecocks got on the board on the top court as No. 20 Ayana Akli defeated No. 34 Julia Adams 6-1, 6-3. Sara Ziodato battled to win her opening set against Ana Cruz 6-4 and then dominated the second set 6-0 to make it 3-1. Virginia secured the win on court 6 as Hibah Shaikh defeated Alice Otis 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 to send the Hoos to Seattle.
Now 4-0 on the season, Virginia will resume regular season play next Sunday against William & Mary in Charlottesville. After that, UVA will participate in the 2023 ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Seattle from February 10th-13th.
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