Three Cavaliers Advance to NCAA Individual Championships

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three members of the Virginia women’s tennis team qualified for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships with their finishes at the ITA Atlantic Regional held Oct. 17-22 at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort.

Seniors Melodie Collard and Elaine Chervinsky, the top-seeded doubles team in the draw, won five matches over the course of five days to take the ITA Regional title. Their victory earned them an invitation to the 2024 NCAA Doubles Championship, being held Nov. 19-24 in Waco, Texas. This is the first year that the singles and doubles championships will be contested in the fall instead of after the NCAA team championship in the spring.

In singles, graduate student Sara Ziodato, the No. 2 seed, finished as the runner-up in the ITA Regional. As a finalist, Ziodato earns an invitation to the 2024 NCAA Singles Championship. Ziodato was edged 7-5, 6-1 by Ozlem Uslu of Virginia Tech in the final.

Sophomore Meggie Navarro and Ziodato finished as the runner-ups of the doubles draw, falling 6-4, 6-1 against Collard and Chervinsky. By virtue of their finalist finish, they have earned the opportunity to compete for one of the NCAA Championship slots available at the ITA Sectionals, being held Nov 7-10 in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Junior Annabelle Xu finished in third place in the singles draw, and Chervinsky finished in fourth place. Both are in contention to compete at Sectionals. Freshman Martina Genis Salas was a quarterfinalist and is also still in contention to qualify for sectionals. In the coming days, the ITA will announce the official Sectional field.

Collard, Zara Larke, Blanca Pico Navarro and Meggie Navarro competed in the singles main draw. Xu, Genis Salas, Larke, and Pico Navarro competed in doubles.

Next Up

• Virginia will play in the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville Tennessee, being held Oct. 25-27.

DAILY RECAPS

Friday, Oct. 18

The Cavaliers won six singles matches on Friday, with Melodie Collard, Annabelle Xu, Martina Genis Salas, Zara Larke, Elaine Chervinsky, Blanca Pico Navarro, and Sara Ziodato all picking up straight-set victories to advance to the round of 32.

Saturday, Oct. 19

The Cavaliers won eight singles matches on Saturday, with Annabelle Xu, Martina Genis Salas, Elaine Chervinsky, and Sara Ziodato all picking up two victories to advance to the quarterfinals. In doubles, all four Cavalier teams advanced to the round of 16.

Sunday, Oct. 20

The Cavaliers won three singles matches on Sunday, with Annabelle Xu, Elaine Chervinsky, and Sara Ziodato all winning to advance to the semifinals. In doubles, Collard and Chervinsky, along with Meggie Navarro and Ziodato, both picked up victories to advance to the semifinals.

Monday, Oct. 21

In singles, Sara Ziodato picked up a straight-sets victory to advance to the final. In doubles, both remaining Cavalier teams defeated opponents from Virginia Tech to advance to the final. Melodie Collard and Elaine Chervinsky won in straights sets and will play Meggie Navarro and Sara Ziodato.

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Melodie Collard and Elaine Chervinsky won the ITA regional doubles title with a straight-sets victory. In singles, Sara Ziodato finished as the runner-up.

SINGLES 
R64: [4] Melodie Collard (VA) def. Julia Abrams (RU) 6-0, 6-0
R64: [1] Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Cenan Liu (GMU) 6-1, 6-1
R64: [9-16] Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Tamari Gagoshidze (MD) 6-1, 6-1
R64: [9-16] Zara Larke (VA) def. Sylvia Eklund (Navy) 6-2, 6-0
R64: Allison Isaacs (ODU) def. Meggie Navarro (VA) 6-2, 7-5
R64: [3] Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Emma Perkins (Mt. St. Mary’s) 6-1, 6-0
R64: Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) def. Abby Lee (UR) 6-2, 6-1
R64: [2] Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Francesca Davis (W&M) 6-2, 6-4
R32: [1] Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Daniella O’Neill (LU) 6-1, 7-5
R32: [9-16] Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Hedda Gurholt (W&M) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
R32: [3] Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Mariam Ibrahim Mohamed Metwally (VCU) 6-1, 6-3
R32: Laima Frosch (VT) def. [9-16] Zara Larke (VA) 6-4, 6-4
R32: Alessandro Anghel (W&M) def. [4] Melodie Collard (VA) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
R32: Diya Challa (MD) def. Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2)
R32: [2] Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Natasha Kavarana (GTOWN) 6-1, 6-2
R16: [1] Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Daria Munteanu (JMU) 6-2, 6-4
R16: [9-16] Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. [6] Emily Tannenbaum (Navy) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
R16: [3] Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Oliwia Orlinska (MD) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
R16: [2] Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [9-16] Elena Kraleva (JMU) 6-4, 6-4
QF: [1] Annabelle Xu (VA) def. [9-16] Martina Genis Salas (VA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
QF: [3] Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Laima Frosch (VT) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
QF: [2] Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [5] Kira Matushkina (ODU) 7-6 (2), 6-2
SF: [8] Ozlem Uslu (VT) def. [1] Annabelle Xu (VA) 6-4, 6-1
SF: [2] Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [3] Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 6-4, 6-1
F: [8] Ozlem Uslu (VT) def. [2] Sara Ziodato (VA) 7-5, 6-1
3-4 Match: [1] Annabelle Xu (VA) def. [3] Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 6-4, 6-1

DOUBLES
R32: [1] Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Mira Kernagis/Sia Chaudry (W&M) 8-2
R32: [3] Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Corinna Rietmann/Elena Kraleva (JMU) 8-2
R32: [2] Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Daniella O’Neill/Maria Turchetto (LU) 8-7 (5)
R32: [5] Zara Larke/Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) def. Yu-Yun Chen/Sadie Daavettila (LU) W/O
R16: [1] Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. [9] Olivia Fermo/Emily Tannenbaum (Navy) 8-5
R16: [5] Zara Larke/Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) def. Natasha Kavarana/Emily Novikov (GTOWN) 8-6
R16: [3] Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Nel Van Hout/Aisling McGrane (Marshall) 8-1
R16: [2] Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [9] Sophie Williams/Ines Oliveira (JMU) 8-1
QF: [1] Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Karen Verduzco/Vaida Matuseviciute (GW) 8-0
QF: [9] Tara Gorinsek/Arina Gamretkaia (VT) def. [5] Zara Larke/Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) 8-1
QF: [8] Ozlem Uslu/Charlotte Cartledge (VT) def. [3] Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) 8-6
QF: [2] Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [9] Francesca Davis/Hedda Gurholt (W&M) 8-3
SF: [1] Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. [9] Tara Gorinsek/Arina Gamretkaia (VT) 6-3, 6-4
SF: [2] Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [8] Ozlem Uslu/Charlotte Cartledge (VT) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (6)
F: [1] Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. [2] Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-4, 6-1

BACKDRAW & EXTRA MATCHES
Vaida Matuseviciute (GW) def. Meggie Navarro (VA) 6-2, 6-0
Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) def. Mira Kernagis (W&M) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (7)
Zara Larke (VA) def. Mya Byrd (ODU) 6-4, 6-4