No. 5 Virginia suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling 4-2 to No. 7 Michigan at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville. Despite a strong start in doubles, the Cavaliers (6-1, 0-0) were unable to carry the momentum into singles play, where they were overpowered by the Wolverines (3-0, 0-0 Big 10), struggling with unforced errors on their way to a third consecutive loss to Michigan.
Virginia opened the match with an impressive showing in doubles. Graduate student Sara Ziodato and junior Meggie Navarro dominated on Court 3, securing a swift 6-0 victory. Junior Annabelle Xu and freshman Martina Genis Salas followed with a clutch 7-5 win on Court 2, clinching the doubles point and giving the Cavaliers an early 1-0 lead.
The Cavaliers played their singles matches without Xu, who has filled the top singles spot so far this season. Michigan started quick in singles play, exploiting Virginia’s inconsistency and capitalizing on crucial mistakes. The Wolverines took control with consecutive straight-set wins on Courts 5 and 2, overtaking Virginia for a 2-1 lead.
Ziodato momentarily leveled things with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory over junior and No. 40 Lily Jones on Court 3 — her highest-ranked win of the season — improving her singles record to 6-0 in dual match play.
Michigan regained the advantage with a straight-set win on Court 6, leaving the Cavaliers in need of a comeback. Virginia’s struggles continued on Court 4, where freshman Isabelle Lacy rebounded from a first-set loss to win seven straight games and force a deciding third set against freshman Emily Sartz-Lunde.
Despite a strong start in the final set, Lacy was unable to maintain her momentum, committing costly errors. Sartz-Lunde responded with two key breaks, ultimately securing a 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 win and clinching the match for Michigan.
With the loss, Virginia will turn its attention to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, set to take place in Evanston, Ill., from Feb. 7-11. The tournament draw will be announced Wednesday. The Cavaliers will need to tighten their singles play and reduce unforced errors if they hope to bounce back in the upcoming tournament.
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