WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's tennis team suffered a 5-2 setback to No. 13-ranked Virginia in its home opener at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center on Wednesday night. Sophomores
Julia Casselbury and
Leeza Nemchinov highlighted the Tribe effort with singles victories.
In doubles, the Cavaliers claimed the initial point of the match winning at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Stephanie Nauta and Maci Epstein downed the Tribe's Casselbury and freshman
Mélanie Roy, 6-0, at the second post, while senior
Sydney Smith and freshman
Nabila Farah dropped a 6-2 decision at No. 3 to Rachel Pierson and Caryssa Peretz.
Casselbury picked up her first dual-match victory as a member of the Tribe in three sets at the No. 6 position. The Tribe sophomore took the opening set, 6-2, before UVA's Maci Epstein forced a third-set super tiebreaker with a 6-3 win in the second. Casselbury outlasted her Cavalier counterpart in the third set, 12-10, for her seventh victory of the season.
At the No. 3 position, Nemchinov downed Virginia's Li Xi, 7-5, 7-5. The Tribe sophomore, who is ranked No. 89 nationally in singles, improved to 10-7 on the year.
The Cavaliers posted wins at the No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 singles positions to post the team victory.
The Tribe continues its homestand with a Saturday, Jan. 18, doubleheader at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. W&M welcomes East Carolina to Williamsburg at 11 a.m., before meeting Colonial Athletic Association foe James Madison at 4 p.m. Live stats for both contests will be available at TribeAthletics.com.
#13 Virginia 5, #40 William and Mary 2
Singles
No. 1 - #28 Danielle Collins (UVA) def. #65
Maria Belaya (W&M) – 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 – #43 Rachel Pierson (UVA) def.
Mélanie Roy (W&M) – 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 – Stephanie Nauta (UVA) def.
Nabila Farah (W&M) – 6-2, 6-1
No. 5 – Marie Faure (UVA) def.
Sydney Smith (W&M) – 6-0, 6-0
Finishing Order: 5, 4, 2*, 1, 6, 3
Doubles
No. 1 – Belaya/Nemchinov (W&M) vs. Collins/Xi (UVA) – DNF, 3-3
No. 2 – Nauta/Epstein (UVA) def. Casselbury/Roy (W&M) – 6-0
No. 3 – Pierson/Peretz (UVA) def. Smith/Farah (W&M) – 6-2
Finishing Order: 2, 3*
