No. 5 Virginia’s NCAA Run Ends in the Quarterfinals
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 5 seed Virginia women’s tennis team (23-6) had its season end with a 4-2 loss against No. 4 seed Texas (24-4) in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championship on Friday (May 20) on the indoor courts of the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign, Ill.
Texas, the reigning NCAA Champions, took the doubles point and won three singles matches to advance to face No. 1 North Carolina in the semifinals on Saturday.
The Cavaliers opened play by picking up a win on the top doubles court. The third-ranked team of sophomores Emma Navarro and Hibah Shaikh topped No. 11 Peyton Stearns and Allura Zamarripa 6-2. The Longhorns countered with a 6-3 win on court three and then clinched the point with another 6-3 win on court two.
The singles matches included one of the marquee pairings of the NCAA Championship. Navarro, who is the No. 1 seed in next week’s NCAA Singles Championship, took on Stearns, who is the No. 2 seed. Navarro dominated the match, winning 6-1, 6-0, tying the team scores at 1-1. Navarro, who handed Stearns just her second loss of the season, heads into the Championship with a 24-1 record, having won her last 13 completed matches.
Junior Natasha Subhash, who will also be competing next week in the singles championship, defeated Kylie Collins of Texas 6-2, 6-0 to give UVA a 2-1 lead. Texas tied the match with a straight-set win on court four. Sophomore Elaine Chervinsky and Hibah Shaikh both fought in tight matches on courts three and six, but Chervinsky was edged 6-4, 7-5 and Shaikh 7-5, 6-4 to close out the contest.
Sophomore Sara Ziodato was leading 5-2 in the third set on court six when play was abandoned.
The Cavaliers finish the season with a 23-6 record, tied for the second-most wins in program history.
FROM HEAD COACH SARA O’LEARY
“Congrats to Texas on a well-fought match today. My heart definitely hurts for this team not being able to get the win today but also because it was the last match we got to play together. This is one united group, and I couldn’t be prouder of all they accomplished this year and whom they became as a team. They chose to play this season with so much passion, courage and belief, and we had a blast! This was a great year and one we can definitely build on. I am very excited about the future of UVA tennis!
“I also want to thank our entire staff, who puts so much into this program every day. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes every day, and I’m so thankful for everyone who has had a hand in helping us along the way. I especially want to thank Tyson and Gina, whom I get to coach with side by side. They are two of the best coaches and leaders I know, and I continue to learn so much from them every day. They are incredible mentors for our young ladies, and I love working with them and building this program.
“Lastly, I want to thank Amber and Sofia. It’s amazing looking back at where this program was four years ago. I am so proud of the sacrifices they have made and their impact on UVA tennis. I am also so proud of the growth each of them made individually over these last four years. I can’t wait to see what their futures hold, and again, I just want to thank them for everything they gave to our program.”
MATCH NOTES
- The match was played indoors because of winds over the 20 mile-per-hour threshold
- This was the first time that the Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals since 2016 and the first time under head coach Sara O’Leary
- This was the team’s third-ever quarterfinal appearance. Virginia is still looking for its first trip to the semifinals
- Virginia’s No. 5 ranking is the program’s second-highest after being a No. 3 seed in 2014
- Texas is the No. 4 seed in the tournament but is ranked No. 3 in the ITA Team Rankings
- Virginia had two seniors on the team playing their final match for the Cavaliers: Amber O’Dell and Sofia Munera
#4 Texas 4, #5 Virginia 2
Singles competition
- #1 Emma Navarro (UVA) def. #2 Peyton Stearns (TEX) 6-1, 6-0
- #44 Natasha Subhash (UVA) def. #49 Kylie Collins (TEX) 6-2, 6-0
- #93 Sabina Zeynalova (TEX) def. #72 Elaine Chervinsky (UVA) 6-4, 7-5
- Charlotte Chavatipon (TEX) def. Sofia Munera (UVA) 6-4, 6-1
- Allura Zamarripa (TEX) def. Hibah Shaikh (UVA) 7-5, 6-4
- Vivian Ovrootsky (TEX) vs. Sara Ziodato (UVA) 2-6, 7-5, 2-5, unfinished
Doubles competition
- #3 Emma Navarro/Hibah Shaikh (UVA) def. #11 Peyton Stearns/Allura Zamarripa (TEX) 6-2
- #67 Charlotte Chavatipon/Kylie Collins (TEX) def. #62 Elaine Chervinsky/Natasha Subhash (UVA) 6-3
- Sabina Zeynalova/Bella Zamarripa (TEX) def. #73 Sofia Munera/Amber O’Dell (UVA) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,2,4,3,5)
2022 NCAA Quarterfinal
T-2:22
Highlights vs Texas