WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Playing with a depleted lineup due to injury and illness, the No. 43-ranked William and Mary women's tennis team suffered a 7-0 setback to instate foe and No. 52 Virginia Tech on Friday evening at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis. The Green and Gold fell to 2-5 on the year, while Virginia Tech improved to 3-2.
The Hokies claimed the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. The Tribe tried a different doubles lineup, but could not find the right combination as Tea Ivanovic and Isel Martinez-Marcos downed the Green and Gold duo of senior
Maria Belaya and sophomore
Jackie Lee, 6-2, at the No. 3 post. Va. Tech took the initial point of the match when Francesca Fusinato and Raluca Mita upended sophomore
Leeza Nemchinov and freshman
Nabila Farah, 6-2, at the top spot.
In singles competition, the Hokies picked up wins at bottom three positions to cement the team victory. VT's Carol Kahoun defeated Lee, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 6 post, while Raluca Mita downed senior
Sydney Smith, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 5 to bring the visitors to a brink of a team victory. Martinez-Marcos iced the Hokie win with a victory at the fourth post over sophomore
Julia Casselbury, 6-1, 6-1.
In a match-up of nationally-ranked counterparts at No. 1, Virginia Tech's Fusinato, who is ranked No. 82 nationally, jumped out to an early first-set lead over W&M's No. 65-ranked
Maria Belaya. Despite a Belaya rally, Fusinato held on for a 6-4 first-set victory, before claiming the match with a 6-1 win in the second.
After Ilinca Stoica downed Nemchinov at No. 2, the Hokies' Kelly Williford outlasted Farah at No. 3, 6-4, 6-4. Already playing without the services of seniors
Hope Johnson and
Jeltje Loomans due to injury, the Tribe suffered another blow as freshman
Mélanie Roy missed the match with Virginia Tech due to illness.
The Green and Gold continues its four-match homestand with a match-up against another top-20 foe on Tuesday, Feb. 4. It will be the Tribe's fourth match this season against a top-20 counterpart. W&M welcomes No. 18 Texas Tech to the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
#52 Virginia Tech 7, #43 William and Mary 0
Singles
No. 1 – #82 Francesca Fusinato (VT) def. #65
Maria Belaya (W&M) – 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 – Kelly Williford (VT) def.
Nabila Farah (W&M) – 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 – Carol Kahoun (VT) def.
Jackie Lee (W&M) – 6-0, 6-1
Finishing Order: 6, 5, 4*, 2, 1, 3
Doubles
No. 1 – Fusinato/Mita (VT) def. Farah/Nemchinov (W&M) – 6-2
No. 2 – Casselbury/Smith (W&M) vs. Stoica/Williford (VT) – DNF, 3-4
No. 3 – Ivanovic/Martinez-Marcos (VT) def. Belaya/Lee (W&M) – 6-2
Finishing Order: 3, 1*
