Charlottesville, VA -- Competing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, the Fairleigh Dickinson women’s tennis team’s historic season came to a close with a 4-0 loss at the hands of No. 14 Virginia in a first round match at the Snyder Tennis Center in Charlottesville, VA on Friday afternoon.
The Knights finish up their season with a 16-8 mark, while the Cavaliers improve to 19-7 and advance to tomorrow’s second round where they will face Tennessee. In the match, FDU played well against two doubles teams in the top 50 in the nation as well as three singles players ranked No. 118 or better.
“It was a great effort on a bigger stage,” Head Coach Ira Miller said. “For us to not be intimidated by a crowd or the facilities or anything like that, and to just come and play our game was a credit to the team.”
Friday’s action began with doubles where UVa won at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, while No. 3 went unfinished.
At the top slot, NEC Player of the Year Anna Rapoport and senior Irina Dementyeva jumped out to a 1-0 lead over the Cavaliers’ Emily Fraser and Li Xi, the No. 31 ranked doubles team in the nation. The Fraser/Xi duo quickly bounced back, however, and went on to an 8-3 win.
Virginia’s other doubles win came at No. 2 where the 43rd ranked tandem of Hana Tomljanovic and Erin Vierra played their way to an 8-2 victory over FDU’s Julia Prantl and Egzona Morina.
At No. 3 doubles, senior Elmine Botes and sophomore Manuela Leme played UVa tough and were trailing Maria Fuccillo and Molly O’Koniewski, 5-2, when doubles play ended.
“I think we showed that we have a high doubles IQ and know how to play the game,” Miller said. “To execute against a team at that level is a real challenge, and we rose to the occasion.”
The play shifted to singles where the Cavaliers, leading 1-0, won at No. 2, 4 and 6 singles to close out the match.
In the first singles match to wrap up on the afternoon, UVa seized a 2-0 lead with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6. FDU’s Dementyeva battled Vierra before Virginia’s No. 4 singles player came away with a 6-1, 6-1 victory to stretch the home team’s lead to 3-0.
Virginia concluded the match with a win by Lindsey Hardenbergh against Botes by a score of 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.
Three other singles matches went unfinished. Morina was in the middle of a highly contested No. 5 singles match with Fuccillo when play ended. Fuccillo won the first set, 6-4, and Morina was trailing 3-2 when Virginia closed out the match.
In her No. 1 singles match against Fraser, the No. 22 singles player in the nation, Rapoport dropped the first set, 6-1. and was down 5-2 in set number two. At No. 3 singles, Prantl finished with an identical 6-1, 5-2 deficit to Xi, the 118th ranked collegiate player in the nation.
“In four of the six matches we were very competitive. Obviously their depth showed,” Miller said. “Egzona (Morina) played unbelievably well and had her best match of the year. Anna (Rapoport), Elmine (Botes), Julia (Prantl) and Egzona (Morina) really executed the game plan and played well, and that’s really all you ask for at this point.”
Three seniors played their final match for the Burgundy and Blue. Botes concluded her career with 78 career singles wins to go with 73 doubles victories, Dementyeva secured 88 singles and 82 doubles victories and Prantl won 73 singles and 70 doubles matches in her four years at FDU.
“I know it’s a sad moment for them with it being the end of their college careers, but I don’t think you can ask for a much better way to go out as your last match than being in the NCAAs,” Miller commented. “We will miss their leadership and the good energy that they bring to their teammates.”
#14 VIRGINIA 4, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 0
Doubles:
1. #31 Fraser/Xi (UVa) def. Rapoport/Dementyeva (FDU) 8-3
2. #43 Tomljanovic/Vierra (UVa) def. Prantl/Morina (FDU) 8-2
3. Fuccillo/O'Koniewski (UVa) led Botes/Leme (FDU) 5-2 DNF
Singles:
1. #22 Emily Fraser (UVa) led Anna Rapaport (FDU) 6-1, 5-2 DNF
2. #43 Lindsey Hardenbergh (UVa) def. Elmine Botes (FDU) 6-1, 6-2
3. #118 Li Xi (UVa) led Julia Prantl (FDU) 6-1, 5-2 DNF
4. Erin Vierra (UVa) def. Irina Dementyeva (FDU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Maria Fuccillo (UVa) led Egzona Morina (FDU) 6-4, 3-2 DNF
6. Molly O'Koniewski (UVa) def. Manu Leme (FDU) 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 2,1
Singles: 6,4,2