WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's tennis team suffered a 4-3 setback to Boston University on Saturday afternoon at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. The Green and Gold received singles wins from seniors Maria Belaya and Sydney Smith as well as freshman Mélanie Roy, but BU answered by winning a close doubles point and taking three singles matches in three sets. W&M fell to 3-10 on the season, while the Terriers improved to 5-4.

The Tribe freshman duo of Nabila Farah and Roy picked up an 8-4 win at the No. 1 position over BU's Lauren Davis and Barbara Rodriguez, while the Terriers countered with a victory at No. 3. The win was the third dual-match victory of the season with the W&M's rookie pair and its first at the top spot. The doubles point came down to a tiebreaker tilt at No. 2. BU's Johanna Hyoty and Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis outlasted the Tribe sophomore pair of Leeza Nemchinov and Julia Casselbury, 8-7 (4), to clinch the initial point for the Terriers.

In singles competition, the Tribe won the opening set at all six positions. W&M went on to take three of those matches in straight sets, but BU rallied to win the other three and claim the match.

At the top post, Belaya picked up her 18th win of the season, downing Davis at the top post, 7-6, 6-2. It marked her fifth win at the No. 1 position.

Roy and Smith claimed straight-sets wins at the No. 4 and No. 5 slot. Roy upended Rodriguez, 6-2, 6-3, at the fourth singles position, while Smith defeated Sami Lieb, 7-6, 6-2, at No. 5. The win was Roy's second straight and 11th on the year, while Smith picked up her eighth triumph of the campaign and third in dual-match competition.  

The Tribe returns to action when it treks to Old Dominion on Friday, March 21. The match carries a 4 p.m. start time in Norfolk and will have 10 points on the line in the Optima Health Challenge, which is an all-sports competition between the two schools.

No. 1 – Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Lauren Davis (BU) – 7-6, 6-2

No. 2 – Johanna Hyoty (BU) def. Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) – 3-6, 7-5, 6-2

No. 3 – Leonie-Charlotte Athanasiadis (BU) def. Nabila Farah (W&M) – 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

No. 4 – Mélanie Roy (W&M) def. Barbara Rodriguez (BU) – 6-2, 6-3

No. 5 – Sydney Smith (W&M) def. Sami Lieb (BU) – 7-6, 6-2

No. 6 – Kim McCallum (BU) def. Julia Casselbury (W&M) – 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

No. 1 – Faray/Roy (W&M) def. Davis/Rodriguez (BU) – 8-4

No. 2 – Hyoty/L. Athanasiadis (BU) def. Nemchinov/Casselbury (W&M) – 8-7 (4)

No. 3 – Caft/McCallum (BU) def. Lee/Smith (W&M) – 8-2