Cavalier Women's Tennis Opens 2003 Season with 4-3 Loss to No. 8 Vanderbilt

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Jan. 18, 2003

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Virginia women’s tennis team began theur 2003 dual match season with a 4-3 loss at No. 8 Vanderbilt. The No. 54 ranked Cavaliers got singles wins from Jennifer Tuchband (Millburn, N.J.), and Dora and Marta Bechliwanis (Etobicoke, Ont.).

The Commodores opened up a 1-0 lead in the match by sweeping the doubles contests. At No. 1 doubles, the Virginia team of Tuchband and Henriette Williams (Raleigh, N.C.) took the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, Sarah Riske and Aleke Tsoubanos, to the limit before falling 9-7.

In singles play, Vanderbilt won the first three matches off the court to win clinch victory. However, the Cavaliers built a late rally to bring the final score to 4-3. Marta Bechliwanis got Virginia started with a straight set win at the No. 5 position. Tuchband closed the score to 4-2 as she rallied after dropping the first set for a three-set win over Tsoubanos at No. 2 singles. In the final match of the day, Dora Bechliwanis won a third-set 10-point tiebreaker to earn a win at No. 6 singles.

“I knew we could play with any team in the country, but I wasn’t sure how we would come out in the first match of the year,” stated Virginia head coach Phil Rogers. “I think we came to play today and put forth a good effort but Vanderbilt just had too much fire power for us. We played quite a match against a top 10 team to start the season and now we must learn and improve from it.”

Virginia continues their road trip on Sunday, as they travel down the road from Nashville to play No. 62 Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro. Virginia will make their home debut on January 31 as they host Old Dominion at Boar’s Head Sports Club.

No. 8 Vanderbilt 4, No. 54 Virginia 3

Singles1. No. 32 Sarah Riske (VU) def. Henriette Williams (UVa) 3-6, 6-2, 6-12. No. 112 Jennifer Tuchband (UVa) def. Aleke Tsoubanos (VU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-43. No. 121 Kelly Schmandt (VU) def. Lori Stern (UVa) 6-4, 6-14. Audra Falk (VU) def. Kristen James (UVa) 6-1, 6-05. Marta Bechliwanis (UVa) def. Annie Menees (VU) 6-2, 6-06. Dora Bechliwanis (UVa) def. Kori Scott (UVa) 6-3, 4-6, 10-3

Doubles1. No. 2 Riske/Tsoubanos (VU) def. Tuchband/Williams (UVa) 9-72. Falk/Schmandt (VU) def. Stern/K. James (UVa) 8-53. Menees/Schellhas (VU) def. Bechliwanis/Bechliwanis (UVa) 8-6