Virginia Knocks Off Miami on Senior Day
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April 21, 2013
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton, Fla.) celebrated Senior Day and her 22nd birthday by clinching No. 17 Virginia’s 4-1 win over No. 10 Miami in Atlantic Coast Conference women’s tennis action Sunday afternoon at Snyder Tennis Center.
The Cavaliers improve to 16-8 overall and 9-2 in the ACC, while the Hurricanes fall to 17-5, 8-3 ACC. Virginia is tied for second with Clemson in the ACC standings and is guaranteed a No. 3 seed or higher and first-round bye at the ACC Women’s Tennis Championship this week.
“I am so happy for our kids, you can see their emotions,” Virginia head coach Mark Guilbeau said. “Our team deserves this victory and to have all three seniors playing a large role, I’m really happy and proud of them.”
Miami claimed the doubles point, but Virginia posted four consecutive singles victories from junior Caryssa Peretz (Cherry Hill, N.J.), freshmen Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) and Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) and senior Tomljanovic to earn the 4-1 victory.
Miami earned the doubles point, getting wins from Brittany Dubins and Stephanie Wagner at No. 1 and Melissa Bolivar and Kelsey Laurente at No. 3. Dubins and Wagner beat senior Maria Fuccillo (Rockville, Md.) and junior Li Xi (Kunming, China) 8-4 at No. 3 and Bolivar and Laurente beat Tomljanovic and Elbaba 8-4 at No. 2. Senior co-captain Erin Vierra and Nauta defeated Monique Albuquerque and Clementina Riobueno 8-3 at No. 1.
Peretz tied the match at 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Deborah Suarez at No. 6 singles. Nauta followed with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Laurente at No. 2 and Elbaba beat Wagner 7-5, 6-4 at No. 1. Tomljanovic clinched the win with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Riobueno at No. 3. Tomljanovic rallied for the win after her serve was broken while leading 5-4 in the second set.
The Cavaliers, who won a school-best nine ACC matches, will compete this Friday at the ACC championship at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C. The seeding and championship bracket will be announced Monday afternoon.
Notes: UVa seniors Vierra, Fuccillo and Tomljanovic were honored prior to the match. The trio will graduate as the most successful class in UVa women’s tennis history, amassing 70 dual wins and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.