Sixth-seeded UNCW Pulls Upset To Join Delaware, W&M And Drexel In CAA Women's Tennis Semifinals

4/26/2024 6:56:28 PM

Rob Washburn

ELON, N.C. (April 26, 2024) – Sixth-seeded UNCW knocked off No. 3 Charleston, 4-3, to join No. 1 Delaware, No. 2 William & Mary and No. 4 Drexel as winners on Friday in the quarterfinals of the CAA Women’s Tennis Championship at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center in Elon, N.C.

#1 Delaware 4, #8 Hampton 0

Top-seeded Delaware (19-6) reached the semifinals of the CAA Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons following a 4-0 victory over 8^th-seeded Hampton (14-9).

Delaware picked up victories at the top two doubles slots to grab a 1-0 advantage. The Blue Hens’ No. 2 tandem of Maryia Hrynashka and Julieta Honrubia defeated Masa Mitic and Lucia Jorrin Fernandez, 6-2, and the No. 1 Delaware duo of Eliza Askarova and Alexandra Staiculescu held off Mio Kozaki and Diana Starodubsteva, 6-4.

The Blue Hens increased their lead to 3-0 following a 6-1, 6-0 win by Askarova over Starodubsteva at No. 2 and a 6-4, 6-4 triumph by Navya Vadlamudi over Fernandez at No. 5. Delaware clinched the match at No. 3 when Hrynashka pulled out three-set victory over Sofia Sokolova, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.

#4 Drexel 4, #5 Elon 2

Junior Lorie Lemongo rallied for a three-set victory at No. 1 singles, sending 4^th-seeded Drexel (12-7) to the CAA Tournament semifinals for second straight season after defeating 5^th-seeded Elon (14-10), 4-2.

Drexel took an early 1-0 lead after securing the doubles point with a pair of strong performances. The Dragons’ No. 3 team of Isabel Cabrerizo and Adva Dabah downed Ella Suk and Simone Bergeron, 6-1. Drexel clinched the point at No. 2 when Elisa Rigazio and Maddie Ricardo topped Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding, 6-3.

The Dragons went up 3-0 in singles as Ricardo beat Suk 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5, and Rigazio defeated Sibel Tanik, 7-6 (6), 6-1 at No. 2. Elon battled back within 3-2 when Bergeron got past Dabah, 7-6 (4), 6-3 at No. 6 and Mariana Reding fought back for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Renata Lombera at No. 3. With the remaining two matches also in a third set, Lemongo was able to close out the contest by edging Lizette Reding, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

#2 William & Mary 4, #7 Campbell 1

Two-time defending champion and 2^nd-seeded William & Mary (16-5) rebounded from an early deficit to rally past 7^th-seeded Campbell (12-9), 4-1.

The Camels sprinted out to a quick start with a strong performance in doubles. Campbell’s No. 3 duo of Mialy Ranaivo and Tasmin Hart topped Francesca Davis and Mila Mejic, 6-2, and the No. 2 team of Mariana Ossa and Lily Chitambar secured the point by beating Hedda Gurholt and Ine Stange, 6-2.

However, William & Mary was able reverse the momentum in singles. Davis bested Veronika Prospalova, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 6 and Yu Chen followed with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Chitambar at No. 2. The Tribe was able to close out the match with a pair of three-set wins. At No. 5, Stange won the final three games to earn a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 decision over Ossa. At No. 1, Gurholt fought back for a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 victory against Ranaivo.

#6 UNCW 4, #3 Charleston 3

Sixth-seeded UNCW got three-set victories from Stela Joksimovic and Elif Albayrak to knock off 3^rd-seeded Charleston, 4-3, in a match that lasted nearly four hours. It was the second year in a row that the Seahawks advanced to the semifinals as a No. 6 seed.

The Seahawks came up with a pair of late service breaks to take the doubles point. At the No. 2 spot, UNCW’s Joksimovic and Alicia Eberwein broke serve at 5-4 and picked up a 6-4 win over Peyton Brotzman and Jaiden McKee. Soon after, the Seahawks’ No. 3 team of Gabriela Glickstein and Anna Parker Shumate also broke at 5-4 for a point-clinching 6-4 triumph over Anna Neyestani and Oziera Ahmad.

Charleston rebounded quickly in singles, capturing three consecutive matches. The Cougars’ McKee defeated Katelyn Hubbard, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 4, Maja Jekauc beat Eda Arli, 7-6 (2), 6-2 at No. 1 and Brotzman topped Eberwein, 6-0, 7-6 (4) at No. 5. However, the Seahawks continued to fight as
Alex Borcich outlasted Francesca Salvato, 6-3, 7-6 in a 12-10 tiebreaker at No. 6, and Joksimovic pulled out a 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4 victory at No. 2 to tie the contest at 3-3. The match was decided in another three-set thriller at No. 3 as the Seahawks’ Albayrak edged Ahmad, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

The CAA Women’s Tennis Championship continues on Saturday with two semifinal matches. At 10 a.m., #1 Delaware takes on #4 Drexel, followed by #2 William & Mary against #6 UNCW at 2 p.m.

Visit www.caasports.com/wtennis for live results, recaps and highlights.

2024 CAA WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals – April 26, 2024
Jimmy Powell Tennis Center – Elon, N.C.

#1 Delaware 4, #8 Hampton 0
Singles
#1 Slade Coetzee (UD) vs. Mio Kozaki (HU) – DNF, 6-1, 6-6
#2 Eliza Askarova (UD) d. Diana Starodubsteva (HU), 6-1, 6-0
#3 Maryia Hrynashka (UD) d. Sofia Sokolova (HU), 6-1, 4-6, 6-0
#4 Alexandra Staiculescu (UD) vs. Meiri Okuwaki (HU) – DNF, 7-5, 5-2
#5 Navya Vadlamudi (UD) d. Lucia Jorrin Fernandez (HU), 6-4, 6-4
#6 Julieta Honrubia (UD) vs. Masa Mitic (HU) – DNF, 7-5, 5-4
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 3*

Doubles
#1 Askarova/Staiculescu (UD) d. Kozaki/Starodubsteva (HU), 6-4
#2 Hrynashka/Honrubia (UD) d. Mitic/Fernandez (HU), 6-2
#3 Coetzee/Paulina Jurkowska (UD) vs. Okuwaki/Sokolova (HU) – DNF, 4-5
Order of Finish: 2, 1*

#4 Drexel 4, #5 Elon 2
Singles
#1 Lorie Lemongo (DU) d. Lizette Reding (EU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
#2 Elisa Rigazio (DU) d. Sibel Tanik (EU), 7-6 (6), 6-1
#3 Mariana Reding (EU) d. Renata Lombera (DU), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
#4 Isabel Cabrerizo (DU) vs. Helen Sarikulaya (EU) – DNF, 4-6, 6-3, 4-4
#5 Maddie Ricardo (DU) d. Ella Suk (EU), 6-2, 6-2
#6 Simone Bergeron (EU) d. Adva Dabah (DU), 7-6 (4), 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 6, 1*

Doubles
#1 Lemongo/Lombera (DU) vs. Tanik/L. Reding (EU) – DNF, 5-3
#2 Rigazio/Ricardo (DU) d. Madison Cordisco/M. Reding (EU), 6-3
#3 Cabrerizo/Dabah (DU) d. Suk/Bergeron (EU), 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2*

#2 William & Mary 4, #7 Campbell 1
Singles
#1 Hedda Gurholt (W&M) d. Mialy Ranaivo (CU), 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
#2 Yu Chen (W&M) d. Lily Chitambar (CU), 6-4, 6-2
#3 Mila Mejic (W&M) vs. Tasmin Hart (CU) – DNF, 6-4, 4-6, 3-1
#4 Alessandra Anghel (W&M) vs. Eeva Ristola (CU) – DNF, 4-6, 6-5
#5 Ine Stange (W&M) d. Mariana Ossa (CU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
#6 Francesca Davis (W&M) d. Veronika Prospalova (CU), 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 5, 1*

Doubles
#1 Chen/Emma Fernald (W&M) vs. Ristola/Lena Karlovcan (CU) – DNF, 5-3
#2 Ossa/Chitambar (CU) d. Stange/Gurholt (W&M), 6-2
#3 Ranaivo/Hart (CU) d. Davis/Mejic (W&M), 6-2

Order of Finish: 3, 2*

#6 UNCW 4, #3 Charleston 3
Singles
#1 Maja Jekauc (CofC) d. Eda Arli (UNCW), 7-6 (2), 6-2
#2 Stela Joksimovic (UNCW) d. Halli Trinkle (CofC), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4
#3 Elif Albayrak (UNCW) d. Oziera Ahmad (CofC), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
#4 Jaiden McKee (CofC) d. Katelyn Hubbard (UNCW), 6-0, 6-3
#5 Peyton Brotzman (CofC) d. Alicia Eberwein (UNCW), 6-0, 7-6 (4)
#6 Alex Borcich (UNCW) d. Francesca Salvato (CofC), 6-3, 7-6 (10)
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 3*

Doubles
#1 Trinkle/Salvato (CofC) vs. Arli/Albayrak (UNCW) – DNF, 4-4
#2 Joksimovic/Eberwein (UNCW) d. Brotzman/McKee (CofC), 6-4
#3 Gabriela Glickstein/Anna Parker Shumate (UNCW) d. Anna Neyestani/Ahmad (CofC), 6-4

Order of Finish: 2, 3*