Virginia Opens NCAA Tournament Against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday

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May 9, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 14 seed Virginia hosts Fairleigh Dickinson, Texas and William & Mary in NCAA Tournament first and second round action on Saturday-Sunday, May 11-12 at Snyder Tennis Center.

First-round action starts on Saturday, May 11 as Texas (17-10) plays William & Mary (17-5) at 9 a.m., followed by Virginia (17-9) and Fairleigh Dickinson (11-6) at 12 p.m. The winners will meet in the second round at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. The winner of the second-round match on Sunday advances to the NCAA Round of 16 on Friday, May 17 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex at the Atkins Tennis Center on the University of Illinois campus.

This weekend’s matches are scheduled to be played outdoors at Snyder Tennis Center and there will be free parking for fans at the Culbreth Garage. The NCAA will make every attempt to play tournament matches outdoors, but if weather conditions prevent outdoor play, matches will be moved indoors to the Boar’s Head Sports Club. For the latest information on times and locations of matches, visit VirginiaSports.com (up-to-the-minute information on the status of each match will be available on the live stats pages).

The Cavaliers are hosting NCAA first and second action for the fourth consecutive year and participating in their school-best fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament and 14th overall. Virginia is 10-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 in each of the last two seasons.

The Cavaliers are 1-0 all-time against Fairleigh Dickinson, defeating the Knights 4-0 last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Charlottesville. Virginia is 1-0 vs. Texas and 20-19, including a 0-1 mark in the NCAA Tournament, vs. William & Mary.

Virginia won a school-best nine ACC matches, tied for second in the ACC regular-season standings and has won nine of its last 11 matches overall. Virginia posted a 1-1 mark at the ACC Championship on April 26-27, defeating Virginia Tech (4-3) in the quarterfinals and losing to Florida State (4-3) in the semifinals.

Head coach Mark Guilbeau has guided the Cavaliers to a 122-80 record and seven NCAA Tournament appearances in eight seasons. Guilbeau has directed Virginia to four straight seasons with 15 or more wins.

The Cavaliers, who are No. 14 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, are led by senior co-captains Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.) and Maria Fuccillo (Rockville, Md.). Vierra, Fuccillo and senior Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton, Fla.) will graduate as the most successful class in UVa women’s tennis history, amassing a 72-35 dual record, 30-15 ACC dual mark and four NCAA Tournament appearances.

All-ACC and ACC Freshman of the Year Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) is ranked No. 12 in the latest ITA singles rankings. Elbaba is 17-7 in dual play and leads the Cavaliers with a Virginia first-year record 33 singles wins. Elbaba will represent the Cavaliers as their first seeded player in the NCAA Singles Championship on May 22-27.

Elbaba was joined on the All-ACC team by freshman Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas), who is ranked No. 78 and second on the team with 28 singles wins. Tomljanovic has nine wins at No. 3 singles. Junior Li Xi (Kunming, China) has four wins at No. 4, while Vierra is 14-8 in dual action and has 10 wins at the No. 5 position. Junior Caryssa Peretz (Cherry Hill, N.J.) went 9-0 in ACC dual play and has 11 wins at No. 6.

In doubles, Vierra and Nauta are 10-6 and have eight wins at No. 1. Elbaba and Tomljanovic are 15-4 overall and have nine wins at No. 2. Xi and Fuccillo have added a 9-3 mark at No. 3 doubles.

Vierra is ranked No. 24 in doubles with injured freshman Maci Epstein (Winter Park, Fla.), while Xi and Nauta are No. 32. Vierra and Epstein, who posted a 16-5 record, earned a berth in the NCAA Doubles Championships but will not be able to compete due to Epstein’s injury. Vierra and Epstein peaked at a school-best No. 5 ranking on Jan. 3.

Xi and Nauta are the third alternate for the doubles championship. The duo achieved a school-best finish at a major tournament, placing second at the ITA Intercollegiate Indoor Doubles Championship on Nov. 11.

Fairleigh Dickinson earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by claiming the Northeast Conference Tournament title. The Knights are led by two-time NEC Player of the Year Anna Rapoport and NEC Rookie of the Year Nicole Chis.

Two-time NCAA champion Texas is making its 31st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Longhorns earned an automatic bid into the 64-team field by claiming the Big 12 Tournament title. Texas is led by freshman Breaunna Addison, senior Aeriel Ellis and sophomore Noel Scott. Addison is ranked No. 31 in singles, while Ellis is No. 37. Addison and Scott are ranked No. 19 in doubles and the Ellis and Scott tandem is No. 84. The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 last season.

William & Mary will play in its 19th NCAA Tournament. The Tribe claimed its 22nd Colonial Athletic Association title, earning the league’s automatic NCAA bid. William & Mary’s doubles team of Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans is ranked No. 13.

Live scoring for the first and second round matches in Charlottesville will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule – Charlottesville Regional

Saturday, May 11
9 a.m. – Texas (17-10) vs. William & Mary (17-5)
12 p.m. – Virginia (17-9) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (11-6)

Sunday, May 12
1 p.m. – Women’s Second Round