No. 1 Virginia Rallies to Defeat SMU 4-3

DALLAS, Texas – The No. 1 Virginia women’s tennis team lost the doubles point but rebounded to top SMU 4-3 on Friday (Feb. 28) at the Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex.

Sophomore Blanca Pico Navarro won the clincher for the Cavaliers (11-2, 3-0 ACC), breaking a 3-3 tie to defeat the Mustangs (7-6, 1-2 ACC) and stay undefeated in conference play.

SMU won the doubles point to begin the match, winning on doubles courts one and three to take an early 1-0 lead.

Virginia bounced back in singles, taking four of the six first sets to grab the momentum.

Within seconds of each other, senior Elaine Chervinsky, grad student Sara Ziodato, and freshman Martina Genis Salas all picked up straight set victories to put the Hoos up 3-1 over the Mustangs.

SMU responded with straight set wins on courts three and four to tie the match, sending the match to the final court.

On court five, Pico Navarro rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first set to take the opener in a tiebreak 7-6 (4). Up a set, she got the early break in the second and ran away with the match, winning 7-6 (4), 6-2 against Millie Skelton to clinch the victory on the road for the Hoos.

MATCH NOTES

• The Cavaliers won their second ever meeting with SMU. The Mustangs won the lone previous matchup in 2004
• Virginia won its third match of the season after losing the doubles point
• Sara Ziodato stayed perfect in dual matches, improving to 10-0. She has a 15-2 overall record this season
• Elaine Chervinsky also stayed perfect in dual matches, improving to 5-0
• Chervinsky partnered with freshman Isabelle Lacy for the first time on the top court, falling 6-1
• Blanca Pico Navarro improved to 5-1 in dual matches
• Senior Melodie Collard was unavailable for the Cavaliers

UP NEXT

• The Cavaliers continue their road trip next weekend, taking on Wake Forest on Friday (March 7) at 4 p.m. and No. 15 NC State on Sunday (March 9) at 2 p.m.

#1 Virginia 4, SMU 3
Singles competition

1. #19 Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Sophie Llewellyn (SMU) 6-0, 6-4
2. #18 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Ellie Pittman (SMU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Drew Morris (SMU) def. #24 Annabelle Xu (VA) 6-2, 7-5
4. Arianna Stavropoulos (SMU) def. #60 Isabelle Lacy (VA) 7-5, 6-1
5. Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) def. Millie Skelton (SMU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
6. Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Kayla Schefke (SMU) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Sophie Llewellyn/Ellie Pittman (SMU) def. Isabelle Lacy/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 6-1
2. Caroline McGinley/Drew Morris (SMU) vs. #28 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) 3-5, unfinished
3. Kayla Schefke/Arianna Stavropoulos (SMU) def. #38 Sara Ziodato/Meggie Navarro (VA) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,1,6,4,3,5)
T-2:40