Collins Claims Inaugural Oracle/ITA Masters Championship
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Sept. 20, 2015
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.), a senior on the Virginia women’s tennis team, claimed the inaugural Oracle/ITA Masters Tournament on Sunday to close out a successful opening weekend of fall competition for the Cavaliers.
The inaugural Oracle/ITA Masters marked the first national collegiate championship of the 2015-16 season. It featured 16 of the top men’s and women’s singles players in the nation.
Collins, who battled some of the top players in the game on the way to Sunday’s final, claimed the title by walkover over Hayley Carter of North Carolina.
The 2014 NCAA Singles Champion, Collins defeated Rachel Pierson of Texas A&M, Sinead Lohan of Miami and Maegan Manasse of California on the way to the finals.
At the Duke Bonk Invitational, the Cavaliers also had several players close out the opening weekend of competition.
Junior Victoria Olivarez (Virginia Beach, Va.) closed out the weekend with a 6-4. 6-0 win over Maggie Kane of North Carolina to take third place in the Royal bracket, while freshman Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, Me.) claimed the third place spot in the Blue bracket by defeating Barbara Mancera 6-2, 6-4.
Senior Skylar Morton (Bethesda, Md.) advanced to the finals of the White bracket, but fell to Duke’s Kaitlyn McCarthy by a score of 6-2, 7-6 (6).
Freshman Erica Susi (Vero Beach, Fla.) fell to Florida’s Anna Danilina 6-2, 6-4 in the third-place match of the White bracket to close out the performances of the squad in the winner’s bracket of the Invitational.
Senior Maci Epstein (Winter Park, Fla.) fell to Georgia Tech’s Johnnsie Renaud 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the consolation finals of the Black bracket, while sophomore Cassie Mercer (Huntington, W.V.) fell to Chloe Oullett-Pizer of North Carolina 6-1, 6-3 in the third-place match of the Royal bracket’s consolation bracket.
The Cavaliers will return to the court this coming weekend, hosting the UVa Fall Invitational. The three-day event will begin on Friday and run through the weekend.