Women’s Tennis: No. 13 Virginia tops Virginia Tech, 6-1

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 13 Virginia women’s tennis team (14-4, 6-3 ACC) picked up a 6-1 victory at Virginia Tech (6-12, 2-7 ACC) on Saturday at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in Blacksburg.

With the victory, Virginia picks up a point in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, an all-sports competition between the two schools.

Senior Sofia Munera and junior Natasha Subhash opened the match with a 6-2 win on doubles court two. Sophomores Emma Navarro and Hibah Shaikh clinched the point with a 6-1 victory on court one.

Navarro downed Elizabet Danailova 6-1, 6-0 on court one to open singles play. Subhash followed with a 6-3, 6-0 victory on court two. Sophomore Sara Ziodato clinched the victory with a 6-3, 6-3 final on court five. Senior Amber O’Dell and Shaikh added two more straight-set victories to give UVA a 6-0 lead. Sophomore Nicole Kiefer rebounded from dropping her first set 6-0 to win her second 6-3 to force a third-set super tiebreaker on court six against Charlotte Cartledge. Cartledge won the breaker 10-5 to earn the Hokies’ point.

MATCH NOTES

• Virginia’s last four victories have all been by a 6-1 final score
• Natasha Subhash’s singles victory was her 20th of the season
• Emma Navarro and Hibah Shaikh improved to 8-0 as a doubles team

SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH

• The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions.
• Virginia picked up 1.0 points with the victory. The Hokies currently lead 9.5-3.5

ON THE HORIZON

• Virginia returns home next weekend to host Wake Forest on Friday, April 8 at 4 p.m. and No. 2 NC State on Sunday, Apr. 10 at 1 p.m.
• Friday’s match will be the Cavaliers’ Senior Day match with Sofia Munera and Amber O’Dell being honored in a pre-match ceremony

#13 Virginia 6, Virginia Tech 1

Singles competition

1. #3 Emma Navarro (VA) def. Elizabet Danailova (VT) 6-1, 6-0
2. #35 Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) 6-3, 6-0
3. Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Dariya Radulova (VT) 6-1, 6-4
4. Amber O’Dell (VA) def. Erika Cheng (VT) 6-3, 6-2
5. Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Semra Aksu (VT) 6-3, 6-3
6. Charlotte Cartledge (VT) def. Nicole Kiefer (VA) 6-0, 3-6, 1-0 (10-5)

Doubles competition

1. #32 Hibah Shaikh/Emma Navarro (VA) def. Erika Cheng/Elizabet Danailova (VT) 6-1
2. Sofia Munera/Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Annie Clark/Katie Andreini (VT) 6-2
3. Rita Pinto/Chhinda Som (VT) vs. Sara Ziodato/Amber O’Dell (VA) 5-4, unfinished

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