Xu and Collard Finish as Doubles Runners-Up at ITA All-American

CARY, N.C. –  Five members of the Virginia women’s tennis team competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s first national tournament of the year, the ITA Women’s All-American Championships, Sept. 30- Oct. 8 at the Cary Tennis Center in Cary, N.C.

Sophomore Annabelle Xu and junior Melodie Collard advanced to the doubles finals before bowing 6-2, 6-2 against Dana Guzman and Alina Shcherbinnina of Oklahoma in the final on Sunday (Oct. 8). The duo picked up four wins in the tournament, including three against tandems ranked in the preseason top 25, en route to their finalist finish.

In singles, Collard and senior Sara Ziodato began play in the prequalifying tournament on Saturday, Sept. 30. Xu and senior Hibah Shaikh opened play in the qualifying tournament on Monday, Oct. 2. Xu made it to the qualifying final before falling against Guzman.

In doubles, Ziodato and sophomore Meggie Navarro competed in qualifying. Collard and Xu started in the main draw.

Since 1983, the ITA Women’s All-American Championships have featured the nation’s top NCAA Division I players and have been a pioneer in women’s college tennis. The event has created milestones that over the years have directly influenced the popularity of women’s collegiate tennis. This marks the second year that the women’s championship was held in Cary, North Carolina. For the first 34 years of the ITA Women’s All-American Championships, the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., hosted the tournament.

MAIN DRAW
Sunday, Oct. 8

• Xu and Collard fell 6-2, 6-2 against Dana Guzman and Alina Shcherbinina of Oklahoma in the final

Saturday, Oct. 7

• Xu and Collard topped NC State’s Sophie Abrams and Anna Zyryanova 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the semifinals

Friday, Oct. 6

• Xu and Collard defeated Anastasiya Komar and Raquel Gonzalez of Oklahoma State 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Thursday, Oct. 5

• Xu and  Collard won 2-6, 6-4, 10-4 against Loudmilla Bencheikh and Anne Marie Hiser of Alabama to advance to the quarterfinals

Wednesday, Oct. 4

• Xu and Collard downed Morgan Cross and Indianna Spink of Arkansas 7-5, 5-7, 11-9 to advance to the second round

PREQUALIFYING & QUALIFYING
Saturday, Sept. 30

• Ziodato topped Eva Alvarez Sande of Washington State 7-5, 6-1 in her opener on Saturday
• Collard fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 against Sophie Abrams of NC State. She will play a consolation singles match on Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 1

• Ziodato was edged 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 by Luciana Perry of Ohio State in the second round
• Collard topped Antonia Balzert of Miami 6-3, 6-2 in a consolation match

Monday, Oct. 2

• Xu topped Ludmila Kareisova of Ole Miss 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the opening round of qualifying singles
• Shaikh fell 6-4, 7-5 against Anika Yarlagadda of North Carolina
• Ziodato and Navarro were edged 8-7 (1) by Raphaelle Lacasse and Isabel Adrover Gallego of Nebraska in the first round of singles qualifying. They won a consolation match against  Marcela Lopez and Kaila Barksdale of Utah 8-3

Tuesday, Oct. 3

• Xu battled Reilly Tran of North Carolina to a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) victory to advance to the final round of singles qualifying where she was edged 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 by Dana Guzman of Oklahoma
• Navarro and Ziodato won 8-4 against Brandelyn Fulgenzi and Reece Carter of Arizona in a bonus consolation doubles match

Doubles competition
32 #46 Annabelle Xu/Melodie Collard (Virginia) def. #22 Indianna Spink/Morgan Cross (Arkansas) 7-5, 5-7, 11-0
16 #46 Annabelle Xu/Melodie Collard (Virginia) def. #20 Loudmilla Bencheikh/Anne Marie Hiser (Alabama) 2-6, 6-2, 10-4
qf #46 Annabelle Xu/Melodie Collard (Virginia) def. #24 Anastasiya Komar/Raquel Gonzalez (Oklahoma State) 6-2, 6-2
sf #46 Annabelle Xu/Melodie Collard (Virginia) def. Sophie Abrams/Anna Zyryanova (NC State) 7-5, 7-6
f Dana Guzman/Alina Shcherbinnia (Oklahoma) def. #46 Annabelle Xu/Melodie Collard (Virginia) 6-2, 6-2

q Raphaelle Lacasse/I. Adrover Gallego (Nebraska) def. Sara Ziodato/Meggie Navarro (Virginia) 8-7 (0-1)
q Sara Ziodato/Meggie Navarro (Virginia) def. Marcela Lopez/Kaila Barksdale (Utah) 8-3
q Sara Ziodato/Meggie Navarro (Virginia) def. Brandelyn Fulgenzi/Reece Carter (Arizona) 8-4

Singles competition
q #71 Annabelle Xu (Virginia) def. #42 Ludmila Kareisova (Ole Miss) 7-6 (0-5), 6-4
q #71 Annabelle Xu (Virginia) def. #76 Reilly Tran (North Carolina) 2-6, 7-6 (0-3), 7-6 (0-5)
q #51 Dana Guzman (Oklahoma) def. #71 Annabelle Xu (Virginia) 6-4, 6-7 (5-0), 6-4

q #31 Anika Yarlagadda (North Carolina) def. #85 Hibah Shaikh (Virginia) 6-4, 7-5

pq Sara Ziodato (Virginia) def. Eva Alvarez Sande (Washington State) 7-5, 6-1
pq Luciana Perry (Ohio State) def. Sara Ziodato (Virginia) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5

pq #110 Sophie Abrams (NC State) def. Melodie Collard (Virginia) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
C Melodie Collard (Virginia) def. Antonia Balzert (Miami) 6-3, 6-2