Virginia Hosts Youngstown State in NCAA Opener

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May 8, 2014

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Virginia (21-5) hosts Youngstown State (14-11) in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship on Friday (May 9). First serve at Snyder Tennis Center is set for 1 p.m.

The Cavaliers earned a No. 3 overall seed, the highest seed in school history. Virginia, which has posted a school-record 21 wins, won its first ACC Championship title last week and won a share for the program’s first ACC regular-season title this season. The Cavaliers are a national seed for the fourth consecutive year.

In each of the past three years, Virginia has reached the NCAA round of 16, the best finish in school history. This season marks the school-record sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance by the Cavaliers.

Virginia head coach Mark Guilbeau has a 145-86 mark in nine seasons at Virginia and 299-175 record in 18 seasons overall. He posted a 154-89 mark in nine seasons at Kentucky.

All-ACC performers Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.), Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) and Rachel Pierson (Princeton, N.J.) lead the Cavaliers into Friday’s action. Elbaba is 17-3 at No. 1 singles and ACC Championship Most Valuable Player Collins is 17-5 at Nos. 1 and 2. Nauta, who clinched Virginia’s ACC Championship title over Duke, is 20-2 at Nos. 2-4 and Pierson is 15-9 at Nos. 2-4. Maci Epstein (Winter Park, Fla.) is 16-8 Nos. 4-6, while Caryssa Peretz (Cherry Hill, N.J.) is 7-2 at Nos. 5 and 6.

Nauta and Xi are expected to compete at No. 1 doubles, while the No. 7 Elbaba and Pierson tandem will battle at No. 2. Collins and Epstein, who clinched all three doubles points for UVa at the ACC championship, are set at No. 3 doubles. Nauta and Xi are 7-2 in dual action, while Elbaba and Pierson are 11-8. Collins and Epstein have flourished with an 8-0 mark on court three.

The Virginia-Youngstown State winner will meet the Kentucky-Columbia winner in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship on Saturday, May 10 at 3 p.m. The second round winner advances to the NCAA round of 16 on Thursday, May 15 in Athens, Ga.

Live scoring for all three matches in the Charlottesville Regional will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

Admission to the NCAA first and second round matches at Snyder Tennis Center is FREE. This weekend’s matches are scheduled to be played outdoors and there will be FREE parking 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 livestats pages) and follow @UVaWomensTennis on Twitter.

2014 NCAA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP – CHARLOTTESVILLE REGIONAL

FRIDAY, MAY 9
10 a.m. – Kentucky (16-11) vs. Columbia (16-4)
1 p.m.* – Virginia (21-5) vs. Youngstown State (14-11)

SATURDAY, MAY 10
3 p.m.* – Women’s Second Round

*match will not start before scheduled time