WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary women's tennis team continues its five-match road trip this weekend at VCU on Saturday, March 30. The contest between former Colonial Athletic Association rivals is set for a 1 p.m. start time from the Thalhimer Tennis Center in Richmond.
From 1996-2012, the Tribe and Rams met 11 times in the league championship match before VCU departed to join the Atlantic 10. The Tribe was 8-3 in those title match meetings. In total, W&M (26) and VCU (4) have won 30 of the 34 all-time CAA Championships.
Scouting the Tribe
- The Tribe suffered a pair of setbacks to top-50 opponents last week in New Jersey. The Green and Gold dropped 6-1 decisions to No. 46 Rice and No. 38 Princeton on Saturday and Sunday.
- In the match-ups with the Owls and Tigers, junior
Charlotte Madson went 2-0 in singles action. She tallied come-from-behind three-set wins in both contests to run her win streak to four. Madson owns 10 wins on the year and is 8-6 in dual-match play.
- W&M improved to 2-0 in CAA play with a convincing 7-0 win over Delaware on March 16. The Tribe won its 12th straight against a CAA opponent. W&M dropped six total games in doubles and won all six singles matches in straight sets. Earlier this season, the Tribe topped Elon, 5-2, on the road.
- Junior
Natalia Perry was named the CAA Player of the Week on March 13 after upsetting No. 101-ranked Natalie Novotna of Virginia Tech. Perry ranks second on the team with 12 singles wins, including six in dual-match play at the top two spots.
- Perry and freshman
Mila Saric earned CAA Doubles Team of the Week honors on March 13 for the second time this season. The duo is a team-best 9-4 in doubles action, including a 4-2 ledger at No. 2.
- On March 7, Saric was named the CAA Player of the Week for the second time this season. She clinched W&M's 4-2 win over Big Ten foe Maryland. Saric, who leads W&M with a 13-10 singles record and a 9-5 dual-match mark, also earned the honor on Feb. 13.
- Senior
Clara Tanielian and sophomore
Vitoria Okuyama have been exceptional in doubles action, going 6-1 overall with five wins at No. 1 The duo garnered the CAA Doubles Team of the Week honors on Feb. 27 after clinching the initial point of the match against both the Terrapins and Memphis.
- W&M has captured the doubles point in nine of its 16 matches, including five of the last eight contests.
- Five of the Tribe's setbacks this season have come to top-50 opponents, including losses to current No. 14 Wake Forest, No. 27 Virginia and No. 48 Kansas State. In total, W&M played six major conference opponents, including a trio of ACC foes.
- W&M's remaining 2019 schedule includes one remaining match against top-50 teams. The Green and Gold hosts current No. 32 Old Dominion on April 13.
Scouting VCU
- The Rams are 12-4 on the year and 1-0 in A-10 play. Of VCU's 12 wins, 11 have come in Richmond, including a 5-2 triumph over James Madison.
- Along with the win over the Dukes on Thursday, VCU topped two more CAA teams in Drexel (6-0) and Elon (6-1), both at home.
- W&M and VCU have two common opponents in Elon and Maryland. Both teams posted wins over the pair. The Tribe topped Elon, 5-2, and Maryland, 4-2, while VCU picked up a 6-1 win over the Phoenix and a 4-0 triumph over Maryland. Both Tribe matches were on the road, while both Rams victories were at home.
- Paola Delgado, who was a First Team All-Atlantic 10 pick last year, is the Rams top player and she is ranked No. 73 nationally. She is 28-5 this season and won the ITA Atlantic Region Singles Championship during the fall.
- Senior Anna Rasmussen is 12-8 on the year, playing primarily at No. 2. She was a two time All-Atlantic 10 First Team pick in his career.
- Sophomore Marina Alcaide Bakkari, who was a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection last season, is 18-3 overall this season playing primarily at No. 3.
- Delgado and Kanako Yano comprise the Rams top doubles team. The pair is 10-6 on the year.
Series History: W&M vs. VCU
- The Tribe leads the all-time series with the Rams at 40-11, including wins in each of the last two matches.
- The Tribe holds a 7-4 advantage in Richmond and won the last meeting in the state capital, 6-1.
- Last season, W&M downed the Rams, 7-0, in Williamsburg.
Rosie Cheng (No. 1),
Clara Tanielian (No. 2),
Natalia Perry (No. 3) and
Lauren Goodman (No. 4) all recorded singles wins for the Tribe.
Up Next
The Tribe wraps up its road swing with two more matches against opponents from the state of Virginia. W&M travels to CAA foe James Madison on Sunday, April 7, at noon for a rematch of last season's league championship match, before heading to Liberty on Monday, April 8, at 1 p.m.
