April 12, 2015
Final Stats | GT Photo Gallery
THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (11-8, 7-5 ACC) fell short against #12 Virginia (16-5, 9-3 ACC), 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
“We came out against Virginia, the number 12 team in the country, and we played really well in doubles, probably the best doubles we have played all year,” head coach Rodney Harmon said. “In singles, we competed really well and we were up in some matches but we weren’t able to close the door. Virginia has the one-two punch of the number two singles player playing on court one and the reigning NCAA champion on court two. That duo was pretty tough.”
The Yellow Jackets came out strong in doubles, never trailing on courts one and two. The duo of sophomore Rasheeda McAdoo and freshman Johnnise Renaud trailed 1-0 in the first game on court three, but then rattled off seven straight to go up 7-1 against #87 Stephanie Nauta and Maci Epstein. McAdoo and Renaud put the match away, 8-2, to put Tech ahead in the doubles battle.
On court one, #17 junior Kendal Woodard and freshman Paige Hourigan jumped ahead 4-0 against #31 Cassie Mercer and Skylar Morton. Woodard and Hourigan rolled to an 8-2 win to clinch the doubles point for Georgia Tech and give the Jackets the 1-0 advantage.
On court two, junior Natasha Prokhnevska and freshman Alexis Prokopuik held a 5-2 advantage against Julia Elbaba and Danielle Collins before the point was clinched in favor of Georgia Tech.
“Rasheeda was able to get a win at five in singles,” Harmon said. “Overall I thought we pretty played well. We’ve had some pretty tough matches lately and the girls have been able to keep up their playing level well. It’s time for us to rest and get ready to play at Pitt and Syracuse this weekend to finish our ACC season.”
The Cavaliers tied up the match at 1-1 after Morton won 6-3, 6-2 against Prokhnevska on court four in the first singles match of the afternoon.
On court three Woodard and #36 Nauta battled it out to a 5-5 tie in the first set, but Nauta would win the next two games to claim a 7-5 victory in the frame. Nauta won the match after a 6-3 win in set two.
The Yellow Jackets were quick to knot the score a 2-2 after McAdoo cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory on court four against Mercer. McAdoo is now 3-0 in ACC singles.
In set one against #37 Collins on court two, #59 Hourigan jumped out to a 5-2 lead. Collins fought back to tie it up 5-5 but Hourigan held her off to win set one, 7-5. Collins then came out and won set two, 6-1, sending the match into a third set.
On court one, #104 Renaud took a 5-1 lead against the #2-ranked Elbaba in the first set. Elbaba then rallied to tie the match 5-5 and take a 6-5 advantage. After much back and forth play, Elbaba won the first set, 7-5, after an hour and a half.
Elbaba went on to win the second set, 6-2, and clinch the match for the Cavaliers while Collins blanked Hourigan, 6-0, in the third set to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 5-2.
The Yellow Jackets wrap up the regular season on the road, heading to Pittsburgh on Friday, April 17 at 5 p.m. and then traveling to Syracuse on Sunday, April 19th at 11 a.m.
Tennis Match Results
Virginia vs Georgia Tech
Apr 12, 2015 at Atlanta, Ga.
(Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
#12 Virginia 5, #35 Georgia Tech 2
Singles competition
- #2 Julia Elbaba (VA) def. #104 Johnnise Renaud (GT) 7-5, 6-2
- #37 Danielle Collins (VA) def. #56 Paige Hourigan (GT) 5-7, 6-1, 6-0
- #36 Stephanie Nauta (VA) def. Kendal Woodard (GT) 7-5, 6-3
- Skylar Morton (VA) def. Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) 6-3, 6-2
- Rasheeda McAdoo (GT) def. Cassie Mercer (VA) 6-3, 6-2
- Marie Faure (VA) def. Alexis Prokopuik (GT) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
- #17 Kendal Woodard/Paige Hourigan (GT) def. #31 Cassie Mercer/Skylar Morton (VA) 8-2
- Natasha Prokhnevska/Alexis Prokopuik (GT) vs. Julia Elbaba/Danielle Collins (VA) 5-2, unfinished
- Rasheeda McAdoo/Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. #87 Stephanie Nauta/Maci Epstein (VA) 8-2
Match Notes:
Virginia 16-5, 9-3 ACC; National ranking #12
Georgia Tech 11-8, 7-5 ACC; National ranking #35
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,3,5,6,1,2)
T-3:14
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