WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 25-ranked William and Mary women's tennis team continued its winning ways, posting its seventh straight victory, 5-2, at Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon. The Tribe took the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions, before senior Anik Cepeda, juniors Maria Belaya and Sydney Smith and freshman Leeza Nemchinov posted singles wins. The Green and Gold upped its season ledger to 11-2 with the triumph.

For the fifth straight match and ninth time overall during the dual-match slate, the Tribe claimed the doubles point. Belaya and fellow classmate Jeltje Loomans continued their dominating play, posting their ninth straight win, 8-3, over Kathryn Talbert and Kasey Gardiner. The No. 2-ranked team in the country won for the 40th time over the last two seasons, while upping its season mark to 20-2 overall and 11-1 in dual-match competition. Nemchinov and Smith impressed once again at the No. 3 slot, blowing past Brigita Bercyte and Karen Forman, 8-1, to clinch the intial point of the match. It marked the Tribe tandem's third straight win as they remained unbeaten in dual-match play at 3-0.

Cepeda reached a career milestone in extending the Tribe lead to 2-0 with a win at the No. 4 singles post. The near flawless 6-0, 6-1 victory over Forman marked the 80th singles win in Cepeda's Tribe career. She improved her team-best singles mark to 19-11 this season with her sixth straight victory. Cepeda owns wins in nine of her last 10 matches and is 11-2 in dual-match play.

After Wake Forest recorded a victory at the top singles position, W&M cemented the team victory with a pair of come-from-behind wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions thanks to the play of Belaya and Nemchinov. After Gardiner took the opening set, 6-4, at No. 2, Belaya rolled in winning 12 of the final 13 games in the second and third sets for her sixth straight triumph. She improved to 15-8 on the year.

For the third time this season, Nemchinov clinched the Tribe victory with a win at the No. 3 post. Wake Forest's Xue Zhang took the opening set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (3), before the Tribe rookie pulled even with an unblemished second set, 6-0. With the decisive third set tied at four, Nemchinov won the final two games for her seventh straight victory. She improved her season mark to 17-9, including an 11-2 mark in dual-match play.

Smith rounded out the Tribe victory with her 12th win on the year, downing Bercyte at the No. 6 slot. The Tribe junior found herself down a break early, but rallied to pull out the first set, 6-4, before rolling to her fifth dual-match win of the season, taking the second set, 6-2.

The Tribe will have nearly two week off, before returning to action with a road trip to the Washington, D.C., area. W&M meets BIG EAST foe Georgetown on Saturday, March 16, before trekking to Maryland on Sunday, March 17. Both matches carry a noon start time.

#25 William and Mary 5, Wake Forest 2
Singles
No. 1 - Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Jeltje Loomans (W&M) - 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 - Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Kasey Gardiner (WF) - 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 - Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) def. Xue Zhang (WF) - 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-4
No. 4 - Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Karen Forman (WF) - 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 - Andrea Retolaza (WF) def. Hope Johnson (W&M) - 7-6 (3), 5-7, 10-6
No. 6 - Sydney Smith (W&M) def. Brigita Bercyte (WF) - 6-4, 6-2
Finishing Order: 4, 1, 2, 3*, 6, 5

Doubles
No. 1 - #2 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) def. Talbert/Gardiner (WF) - 8-3
No. 2 - Cepeda/Johnson (W&M) vs. Zhang/Retolaza (WF) - 5-3, unfinished
No. 3 - Nemchinov/Smith (W&M) def. Bercyte/Forman (WF) - 8-1
Finishing Order: 1, 3*