Elbaba to Compete in NCAA Individual Championships

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May 1, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia freshman standout Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) and the doubles tandem of senior co-captain Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) and freshman Maci Epstein (Winter Park, Fla.) have been selected for the 2013 NCAA Individual Championships, held May 22-27 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Illinois.

In addition, the UVa pairing of junior Li Xi (Kunming, China) and freshman Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) is the third alternate for the doubles championship.

Elbaba, who earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference and ACC Freshman of the Year honors, is seeded No. 9-16, becoming the first Virginia women’s seeded player in the NCAA Singles Championship.

Elbaba is ranked No. 12 nationally and leads the Cavaliers with a 33-9 overall record and 17-7 mark in dual action. Elbaba’s 33 victories established a new UVa record for first-year players and are tied for second on the Cavalier single-season wins list. She advanced to the finals of the ITA All-American in October and achieved a school-record No. 4 singles ranking on Jan. 3.

Vierra and Epstein, who posted a 16-5 record and are ranked No. 20 in doubles, will not be able to compete in the doubles championship due to a season-ending injury Epstein suffered early in the dual season. Vierra and Epstein peaked at a school-best No. 5 ranking on Jan. 3.

Xi and Nauta achieved a school-best finish at a major tournament, placing second at the ITA Intercollegiate Indoor Doubles Championship on Nov. 11.

Virginia, the No. 14 seed in the NCAA Team Championship, hosts NCAA first and second round action on May 11-12 at the Snyder Tennis Center. The Cavaliers (17-9) meet Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round on May 11 at 12 p.m., with Texas and William & Mary also competing in the Charlottesville Regional.