Charlottesville, VA -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's tennis team dropped its first round NCAA Tournament match to No. 14 Virginia, 4-0, Saturday, but was able to win 23 games during singles play at the Snyder Tennis Center. With the victory, the Cavaliers improve to 18-9 on the season and advance to play Texas in the second round, which defeated William & Mary, 4-0. With the loss, the Knights conclude the year with a record of 11-7.
Virginia took an early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles' point. FDU's No. 1 duo of senior Anna Rapoport and freshman Nicole Chis fell to Julia Elbaba and Hana Tomljanovic, 8-1, before the point was clinched at No. 2, where senior Egzona Morina and freshman Celine Maier lost 8-2 to Li Xi and Maria Fuccillo. Sophomore Dina Guzairova and junior Manuela Leme were trailing 7-2 at No. 3 when the doubles' point was won.
In singles, the Knights competed hard and positioned themselves to possibly win a set. The best chance came at No. 5, as Guzairova led Caryssa Peretz, 4-3, before dropping the final three games of the first set to fall 6-4. Guzairova was trailing 2-1 in the second set when the Cavaliers clinched the match.
At No. 4, Maier was leading the second set, 4-3, when the match ended. She was tied with Erin Vierra, 3-3, before the UVA player won the final three games to take the first set.
Morina, who lost 6-1 in the first set at No. 2, was all tied, 3-3, with Tomljanovic in the second set when the match was completed.
Chis and Leme both lost 6-3 in their first sets at No. 3 and No. 6 but were handled in the second sets. Chis was defeated by Xi, 6-1, in the second set, which put Virginia up 3-0, and Leme was shutout, 6-0, by Fuccillo, which ended that match.
Rapoport, who played the No. 12 singles player in the country in Elbaba, was swept 6-0, 6-0, but her play was not indicative of the final score.
FDU will lose Rapoport, the best player in the history of the program, and Morina, one of the most important players in women's tennis history, but return five players for the 2013-14 season.
#14 Virginia 4, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
May 11, 2013 at Charlottesville, Va. (Snyder Tennis Center)
|
Singles competition |
|
1. #12 Julia Elbaba (VA) def. RAPOPORT, Anna (FDU) 6-0, 6-0 |
|
2. Hana Tomljanovic (VA) vs. MORINA, Egzona (FDU) 6-1, 3-3, unfinished |
|
3. Li Xi (VA) def. CHIS, Nicole (FDU) 6-3, 6-1 |
|
4. Erin Vierra (VA) vs. MAIER, Celine (FDU) 6-3, 3-4, unfinished |
|
5. Caryssa Peretz (VA) vs. GUZAIROVA, Dina (FDU) 6-4, 2-1, unfinished |
|
6. Maria Fuccillo (VA) def. LEME, Manuela (FDU) 6-3, 6-0 |
|
Doubles competition |
|
1. Julia Elbaba/Hana Tomljanovic (VA) def. RAPOPORT, Anna/CHIS, Nicole (FDU) 8-1 |
|
2. Li Xi/Maria Fuccillo (VA) def. MORINA, Egzona/MAIER, Celine (FDU) 8-2 |
|
3. Erin Vierra/Caryssa Peretz (VA) vs. GUZAIROVA, Dina/LEME, Manuela (FDU) 7-2, unfinished |
|
Match Notes |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson 11-7 |
|
Virginia 18-9; National ranking #14 |
|
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,3,6) |
|
Virginia will play Texas in the second round on Sunday at 1 p.m. |