UVA falls to Duke in match play semis at ACC Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 11 Virginia women’s golf team lost to No. 2 Duke 3-2 in the semifinals of match play at the ACC Championships in Greensboro, N.C. at Sedgefield Country Club.

The Blue Devils will face No. 8 Florida State in Sunday’s match play final. The Seminoles advanced after upsetting No. 3 Wake Forest.

Virginia’s two wins came from senior Beth Lillie (Fullerton, Calif.) and sophomore Virginia Bossi (Como, Italy).

Lillie got UVA its first point by defeating 10th-ranked Erica Shepherd 4&2. After falling behind 1-down after a bogey on the first hole, Lillie made the match all-square on the fourth hole and then took the lead on the fifth hole and never trailed again.

Bossi played her final five holes of regulation with Duke’s Jaravee Boonchant all square to force extra holes which she won on the 20th hole. Neither player led by more than one hole during their match.

Duke collected its three points when Phoebe Brinker defeated Riley Smyth (Cary, N.C.) 4&2, Anne Chen beat Celeste Valinho (Jacksonville, Fla.) 5&3 and Gina Kim, the ACC individual champion, knocked off Jennifer Cleary (Wilmington, Del.) 3&2.

Virginia will face Virginia Tech in a one-day event on May 3 at Boonsboro Country Club in Lynchburg before the NCAA Regional competitions start on May 10-12.