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FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. – The ninth-ranked Virginia women’s tennis team improved to 2-0 in 2012 by rallying for a 4-3 win over No. 21 Texas on Sunday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Cavaliers erased a 3-0 deficit to win the final four matches on the courts to defeat the Longhorns (1-1), who had upset No. 4 North Carolina 4-3 a day earlier.

The doubles point came down to the match at No. 2 after Lina Padegimaite and Noel Scott won at No. 1 for Texas and Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) and Maria Fuccillo (Rockville, Md.) won at No. 3 for Virginia. In the deciding match Aeriel Ellis and Cierra Gaytan-Leach edged Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton. Fla.) and Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) 9-8(2) to clinch the opening point for Texas.

The Longhorns extended their lead to 3-0 by winning the first two singles matches off the court with straight-set wins by Damico at No. 3 and Elizabeth Begley at No. 6. Three straight-set victories by Virginia drew the Cavaliers level, 3-3, as Emily Fraser (Rye, N.Y.) topped Ellis at No. 1, Hardenbergh downed Scott at No. 2 and Tomljanovic defeated Gaytan-Ellis at No. 4. In the final match on the courts, Vierra rallied from losing the first set for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Padegimaite to give Virginia its second 4-3 win of the season. The Cavaliers defeated No. 18 Tennessee in their season opener on Saturday.

“What a well deserved win,” said head coach Mark Guilbeau. “I am so proud of this team. Despite a tough doubles point and a 3-0 deficit overall, the team did not flinch. The focus was incredible and the players stayed on task – one point, one shot at a time. The entire group showed a winning spirit throughout and that made all the difference. Texas deserves a lot of credit. It was a great match by both teams. We are fired up and ready to keep improving as well.”

Virginia will return to action on January 31 as it plays a pair of matches in Blacksburg. The Cavaliers play West Virginia at 10 a.m. before meeting Virginia Tech in their ACC opener at 4 p.m.

#9 VIRGINIA 4, #21 TEXAS 3

Doubles:
1. Padegimaite/Scott (UT) def. Fraser/Xi (UVa) 8-6
2. Ellis/Gaytan-Leach (UT) def. Vierra/Tomljanovic (UVa) 9-8(2)
3. Hardenbergh/Fuccillo (UVa) def. Damico/Martin (UT) 8-4

Singles:
1. #29 Emily Fraser (UVa) def. #47 Aeriel Ellis (UT) 7-6, 6-2
2. #30 Lindsey Hardenbergh (UVa) def. #119 Noel Scott (UT) 6-2, 7-5
3. Krista Damico (UT) def. Li Xi (UVa) 6-3, 6-3
4. #85 Hana Tomljanovic (UVa) def. Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) 6-3, 7-6(5)
5. #75 Erin Vierra (UVa) def. Lina Padegimaite (UT) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
6. Elizabeth Begley (UT) def. #89 Caryssa Peretz (UVa) 7-5, 6-3

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