W&M Captures Third Straight Women's Tennis Title
William & Mary celebrates winning the CAA Women's Tennis Championship.

W&M Captures Third Straight Women's Tennis Title

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Rob Washburn


CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY

GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 23, 2017) – Top-seeded William and Mary captured its third straight CAA Women’s Tennis Championship after defeating No. 6 UNCW, 4-2, on Sunday at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center in Greensboro.
 
The Tribe (14-10), which earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, overcame the loss of the doubles point for the second straight day to claim its 25th overall CAA women’s tennis title. UNCW, which upset No. 3 College of Charleston and No. 2 Elon to become the first No. 6 seed to ever make the finals of the CAA championship, finished its season at 11-8.


 
UNCW took the early lead in the match after an exciting doubles competition. W&M’s No. 3 team of Rosie Cheng and Ekaterina Stepanova rolled past Xandra Fougner and Celeste Matute, 6-1, but the Seahawks’ No. 2 duo of Annika Sillanpaa and Alix Theodossiou responded with a 6-3 triumph over Natalia Perry and Cecily Wuenscher. The point was determined in a tiebreaker at No. 1, where UNCW’s Madara Straume and Sabrina Barisano captured the final three points to pull out a 7-6 (7-5) victory over Marie Faure and Lauren Goodman.
 
W&M got off to a quick start in singles. Goodman cruised over Barisano, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 and Perry downed Theodossiou, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 3. The Tribe pushed the advantage to 3-1 as Cheng downed Fougner, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 4, but the Seahawks closed the deficit when Straume beat Stepanova, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 1. The match was decided in a thrilling contest at No. 2, where Faure rallied for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Sillanpaa.
 

2017 CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP – Finals

Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center – Greensboro, N.C.
 
 
#1 William & Mary 4, #6 UNCW 2
 

Singles

#1 Madara Straume (UNCW) d. Ekaterina Stepanova (W&M), 6-3, 7-5
#2 Marie Faure (W&M) d. Annika Sillanpaa (UNCW), 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
#3 Natalia Perry (W&M) d. Alix Theodossiou (UNCW), 6-2, 6-1
#4 Rosie Cheng (W&M) d. Xandra Fougner (UNCW), 6-1, 6-3
#5 Lauren Goodman (W&M) d. Sabrina Barisano (UNCW), 6-0, 6-1
#6 Maria Groener (W&M) vs. Celeste Matute (UNCW) – DNF  7-5, 4-2
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 4, 1, 2*

Doubles

#1 Straume/Barisano (UNCW) d. Faure/Goodman (W&M), 7-6 (7-5)
#2 Sillanpaa/Theodossiou (UNCW) d. Perry/Cecily Wuenscher (W&M), 6-3
#3 Cheng/Stepanova (W&M) d. Fougner/Matute (UNCW), 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1*