CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Four Cavaliers competed this week at the NCAA Women’s Tennis Individual Championships being held May 23-28 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Illinois.
Sophomore Emma Navarro, the 2021 NCAA Singles Champion and the No. 1 seed in the 2022 singles tournament will not repeat as champion after suffering a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 loss against Abigail Rencheli of NC State on a windy Wednesday in Champaign. Rencheli was unseeded in the tournament, coming in with an ITA Singles ranking of No. 48. Navarro opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win against Margarita Skiabina of Texas Tech and topped Carol Lee of Georgia Tech 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Tuesday in the second round to advance to the Round of 16.
Navarro ends the season with a 26-2 record in singles.
Natasha Subhash faced 8-seed Carson Branstine in the first round of singles, winning 7-5, 6-2 to advance. She defeated Carmen Corley of Oklahoma 6-3, 7-5 in the second round. She lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Paola Diaz-Delgado of VCU playing on the indoor courts on Wednesday morning in the Round of 16.
Both players earn ITA All-America honors in singles. Navarro earned it with both her seeding and her finish. Subhash earned it by advancing to the NCAA Round of 16. It is the second All-America honor in singles for Navarro and the third for Subhash.
Freshman Elaine Chervinsky, who was originally an alternate for the tournament, earned a spot in the singles draw , but fell 6-4, 6-2 against Thasaporn Naklo of Iowa State in the first round on Monday.
Navarro and fellow sophomore Hibah Shaikh were the No. 3 seed in the doubles championships, They topped Domenika Turkovic and Patricija Spaka of Arizona State 6-4, 7-5 in the opener before falling 6-1, 6-2 against Janice Tjen and Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine on Wednesday in the Round of 16.
Navarro and Shaikh earn All-America status in doubles by virtue of their seeding. It is the second All-America honor in doubles for Navarro and the first for Shaikh.
Singles Results
R64 #1 Emma Navarro (UVA) def. Margarita Skriabina (Texas Tech) 6-0, 6-0
R64 Natasha Subhash (UVA) def. #8 Carson Branstine (TAMU) 7-5, 6-2
R64 Thasaporn Naklo (IOWA ST) def. Elaine Chervinsky (UVA) 6-4, 6-4
R32 #1 Emma Navarro (UVA) def. Carol Lee (GT) 6-4, 7-6(2)
R32 Natasha Subhash (UVA) def. Carmen Corley (OKLA) 6-3, 7-5
R16 Abigail Rencheli (NCST) def. #1 Emma Navarro (UVA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
R16 Paola Diaz-Delgado (VCU) der. Natasha Subhash (UVA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
R32 #3 Navarro/Shaikh (UVA) def. Turkovic/Spaka (ASU) 6-4, 7-5
R16 Janice Tjen/Savannah (PEP) def. #3 Navarro/Shaikh (UVA) 6-1, 6-2