Virginia Edges Virginia Tech 4-3 in ACC Women's Tennis Quarterfinals
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April 26, 2013
CARY, N.C. – No. 3 seed Virginia edged No. 11 seed Virginia Tech, 4-3, in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Tennis Championship Friday (April 26) at Cary (N.C.) Tennis Park.
ACC Freshman of the Year Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) clinched the win with a dramatic 2-6, 6-0, 7-5 victory over Ilinca Stoica at No. 1 singles. The Cavaliers claimed the doubles point and seniors Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) and Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton, Fla.) added singles victories against the Hokies (14-12).
Virginia improves to 17-8 overall and advances to the semifinals tomorrow against No. 7 seed Florida State, who upset No. 2 seed Clemson, 4-3, earlier today. First serve for the Virginia-Florida State match is set for 1 p.m.
“We earned the victory and beat Virginia Tech on their very best day,” Virginia head coach Mark Guilbeau said. “I just give both teams a ton of credit. Man, did she [Elbaba] focus so well at the end and I’m so proud of her.”
Virginia started fast, claiming the doubles point with victories at No. 3 and No. 2. Junior Li Xi (Kunming, China) and senior Maria Fuccillo (Rockville, Md.) beat Emily Lauten and Isel Martinez-Marcos, 8-1, at No. 3 and Tomljanovic and Elbaba clinched the point with an 8-3 win over Carol Kahoun and Raluca Mita at No. 2.
Virginia Tech tied the match at 1-1 with Tea Ivanovic’s 6-0, 6-1 win over Caryssa Peretz (Cherry Hill, N.J.) at No. 6.
Vierra gave the Cavaliers a 2-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Kahoun at No. 5, but the Hokies tied the score at 2-2 with Kelly Williford’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Xi at No. 4.
Mita put the Hokies ahead 3-2 with a 6-4, 7-5 win over freshman Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) at No. 2, but Tomljanovic’s 6-3, 7-5 win over Martinez-Marcos at No. 3 knotted the score at 3-3.
Live scoring for the Virginia-Florida State match will be available at VirginiaSports.com.
Notes: Virginia will compete in the semifinals of the ACC championship for the second straight season. The Cavaliers defeated Florida State, 4-0, last weekend in Charlottesville. Virginia is 17-29, including a 0-6 mark vs. Florida State, at the ACC championship.