Virginia women’s tennis senior Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) continued to advance at the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship, picking up a 7-5, 6-3 win over Mississippi State’s Jasmine Lee at the Case Tennis Center on Saturday (May 28).
Lee was seeded in the group of players from 9-16 in the tournament and ranked No. 13 in the latest ITA singles rankings.
“I got off to a really hot start, but then she (Lee) started to give me a run for my money,” Collins said. “I had to pick it up and say ‘not today’. I really had to battle towards the end of the first set, but luckily I picked it up and it carried me through the second set.
“I’m from Florida, so I’m used to the heat, the humidity and it being really windy,” Collins continued. “I go to school at Virginia and it’s freezing there, so I’ve gotten a taste of everything. I think I’ve been improving as the tournament goes on and playing better each match. There are a lot of really tough competitors so I just need to get prepared and give it my all tomorrow. I am good with any type of weather.”
With the win, the second-seeded Collins has advanced to the quarterfinals or farther in all three seasons at Virginia. Collins claimed the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship as a sophomore in 2014 and advanced to the quarterfinals last season as a junior.
Collins will now face seventh-seeded Luisa Stefani of Pepperdine in the semifinals on Sunday. The match is set for a 1 p.m. ET first serve. Fans can follow the action through live stats and video linked at VirginiaSports.com and with updates through the program’s official Twitter account @UVAWomensTennis or by following @NCAATennis on Twitter.
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Chris Graham
