This week, select Cavaliers from the men’s team and women’s team competed in their final and most important event of the individual season — the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Play began at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. Nov. 17 and concluded Sunday. From the women’s team, graduate student Sara Ziodato, junior Annabelle Xu, senior Elaine Chervinsky, senior Melodie Collard and freshman Martina Genis Salas competed. Chervinsky upset the No. 1 seed to advance to the singles quarterfinals, and most incredibly, No. 3 team Chervinsky and Collard claimed Virginia women’s tennis’ first NCAA doubles championship title.
Chervinksy and Collard’s championship journey began with no easy feat — the Virginia pair won their first-round match against No. 17 seeded pair from Washington, overcoming a second-set loss to prevail 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (7). In the second round, they delivered another thrilling performance, defeating a Georgia team, also in three sets. The duo then upset a No. 5 and No. 8 North Carolina pair in the quarterfinals, clinching a 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (8) win in their third consecutive match tiebreak.
In the semifinals, Chervinsky and Collard faced junior Rachel Gailis and senior Alicia Dudeney of Florida. After dropping the first set 1-6, they made an incredible comeback to win the second set 6-3 and rallied from being down 5-0 in the match tiebreak to secure a dramatic 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (8) victory and advance to the finals for the first time in program history.
“We’re both seniors, so it’s really nice for us both to represent the team in the final,” Collard said in Saturday’s press conference. “I think that’s personally what I’m most proud of. It means a lot for us.”
With a whopping four consecutive match tiebreak wins under their belt, Chervinsky and Collard faced the fifth and eighth seeded freshman pair from UCLA, Olivia Center and Kate Fakih. After losing a tight first set, Chervinsky and Collard regrouped to take the second and third steadily and handily, winning Virginia women’s tennis’ first doubles championship match, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (5).
Genis Salas and Xu had a solid doubles run. They upset a pair from Texas Tech in the round of 32 but then fell in a close two-set match to a No. 18 pair from Auburn. In singles, Ziodato lost in the first round, and Xu fell in the second round. On top of her doubles championship, Chervinsky also had a remarkable win in singles. She defeated the No. 1 seed in the round of 16, Texas A&M senior Mary Stoiana, 6-3, 6-0, but lost in the quarterfinals.
From the men’s team, sophomore Dylan Dietrich began with a straight-sets victory over Denver senior Daniel Sancho Arbizu Tuesday. In the round of 32, he faced the No. 8 seed from Ohio State, and despite rallying from 5-1 down in the first set, Dietrich ultimately fell 6-7 (1), 6-0, 6-1.
Virginia’s historic performance at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships cements the program’s dominance, particularly for the Cavalier women. Chervinsky and Collard’s triumph in securing the program’s first-ever doubles title, paired with impressive individual performances from both teams, showcases the Cavaliers’ unmatched prowess. This unforgettable run sets the stage for what will be a very exciting spring season, but for now, the team can reflect on the significance of the championship win.
“I’m so proud of being part of Virginia and representing them,” Collard said
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