Irish Split Weekend Matches in Virginia

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team, ranked as the 24^th best team in the country this week, split a pair of matches in Virginia over the weekend. The Irish fell to #11 Virginia in Charlottesville, 4-3 before rebounding to earn a 5-2 win over Virginia Tech to close spring break. The Fighting Irish are now 11-6 overall, and 1-4 in ACC play.

How It Happened – #11 Virginia

The Irish and Cavaliers battled down to the wire before Notre Dame came up short. The doubles point went the way of Notre Dame after Rylie Hanford and Yashna Yellayi earned a 6-2 win at No. 3, and Carrie Beckman and Julia Andreach secured the point with a 7-5 win at No. 2.

Singles play saw the Irish take a 3-1 lead after #71Freeman ran through her opponent at the top flight, defeating #44 Julia Adams 6-1, 6-0. Bojana Pozder added a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 5 over Sara Ziodato to take the two-point advantage. Virginia flexed its muscle down the stretch, winning the final three matches to earn the 4-3 victory.

#11 Virginia 4, #24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3

Singles competition

1. Page Freeman (ND-W) def. Julia Adams (VA) 6-1, 6-0
2. Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-4, 6-2
3. Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
4. Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Carrie Beckman (ND-W) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Bojana Pozder (ND-W) def. Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-3, 6-3
6. Melodie Collard (VA) def. Nibi Ghosh (ND-W) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)

Doubles competition

1. Melodie Collard/Julia Adams (VA) def. Page Freeman/Maria Olivia Castedo (ND-W) 6-2
2. Carrie Beckman/Julia Andreach (ND-W) def. Elaine Chervinsky/Natasha Subhash (VA) 7-5
3. Rylie Hanford/Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) def. Hibah Shaikh/Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-2

Match Notes:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-6, 1-4 ACC; National ranking #24 Virginia 11-3, 4-1 ACC; National ranking #11

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,2,5,3,6,4) T-94

How It Happened – Virginia Tech

Against the Hokies, the Irish doubles team continued their dominance, earning a win in all three matches. Hanford and Yellayi earned the 6-2 win at No. 3, before Freeman and Maria Olivia Castedo took the point with a 6-3 win at the top flight.

Singles action saw Freeman earn another straight-set victory, 6-2, 6-4 at the top position. Andreach added another point with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 2 before freshman Pozder put the match away with a 7-5, 6-3 win at the fourth flight. Fellow rookie Akari Matsuno added a 7-5. 1-6. 6-4 win in the final match of the day.

#24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5, #55 Virginia Tech 2

Singles competition

1. #71 Page Freeman (ND-W) def. Ozlem Uslu (VT) 6-2, 6-4
2. #115 Julia Andreach (ND-W) def. Dariya Radulova (VT) 6-1, 6-2
3. Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) def. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) 7-5, 6-0
4. Bojana Pozder (ND-W) def. Semra Aksu (VT) 7-5, 6-3
5. Katie Andreini (VT) def. Carrie Beckman (ND-W) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
6. Akari Matsuno (ND-W) def. Charlotte Cartledge (VT) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Page Freeman/Maria Olivia Castedo (ND-W) def. Katie Andreini/Semra Aksu (VT) 6-3
2. #46 Carrie Beckman/Julia Andreach (ND-W) def. Tamara Barad Itzhaki/Ozlem Uslu (VT) 6-3 3. Rylie Hanford/Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) def. Erika Cheng/Sabina Richtrova (VT) 6-2

Match Notes: Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-6; National ranking #24 Virginia Tech Women’s Tennis 10-6; National ranking #55

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

Up Next

The Irish return to Eck Tennis Pavilion this weekend as they host NC State at 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, and Wake Forest at 11 a.m. Sunday.