Women’s Tennis: Cavaliers come up short, 4-2, at Michigan in NCAA Round of 16

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia women’s tennis team had its season come to an end in the Round of 16 of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championship with a 4-2 loss against Michigan on Saturday at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor.

Virginia (20-7) hopped out to a 2-0 lead, but Michigan won four straight singles matches for the victory.

The Cavaliers took the doubles point after Julia Adams and Mélodie Collard won 6-1 on court two and Natasha Subhash and Annabelle Xu won 6-4 on two.

Hibah Shaikh made it 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 win against Andrea Cerdan on singles court four.

Michigan (25-3) then picked up straight-set wins on courts one five and two to take a 3-2 lead. Gala Mesochoritou clinched the Wolverine victory with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win on court six.

The Cavaliers are the No. 12 seed in the tournament but are No. 11 in the latest ITA team rankings. Michigan is the No. 5 seed and the No. 5 team in the rankings. This was Virginia’s eighth time advancing to the Round of 16.

Adams and Collard will be competing in the NCAA Doubles Championship May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Adams and Subhash will play in the singles championship at the same location.

NO. 5 MICHIGAN 4, NO. 11 VIRGINIA 2

Singles
1. #36 Kari Miller (MICH) def. #61 Julia Adams (VA) 6-4, 6-4
2. #22 Nicole Hammond (MICH) def. #53 Natasha Subhash (VA) 6-4, 6-3
3. #51 Julia Fliegner (MICH) vs. #92 Annabelle Xu (VA) 4-6, 4-3, unfinished
4. Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Andrea Cerdan (MICH) 6-2, 6-0
5. Lily Jones (MICH) def. Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-1, 6-4
6. Gala Mesochoritou (MICH) def. Mélodie Collard (VA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Doubles
1. #10 Julia Adams/Mélodie Collard (VA) def. Jaedan Brown/Andrea Cerdan (MICH) 6-1
2. Natasha Subhash/Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Lily Jones/Julia Fliegner (MICH) 6-4
3. Merri Kelly/Kari Miller (MICH) vs. Sara Ziodato/Hibah Shaikh (VA) 4-4, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (4,1,5,2,6)