Women’s Tennis: No. 23 UVA downs Boston College 4-3 to open season

The No. 23 UVA (1-0, 1-0 ACC) women’s tennis team opened the 2017 season with victory on Saturday (Jan. 21), defeating Boston College by a score of 4-3 at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

It came down to singles on court six as freshman Hunter Bleser (New Braunfels, Texas) pulled out a three-set victory in a battle of freshmen. Bleser picked up the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over freshman Elene Tsokilauri to secure the victory for the Cavaliers.

Virginia also got straight-set wins in singles from junior Cassie Mercer (Huntington, W.V.) on court one and sophomore Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, Maine) on court three. Mercer defeated 103rd-ranked Asiya Dair 6-2, 6-3, while No. 124 Kelley defeated Kylie Wilcox 6-1, 6-3.

Virginia took the early lead in the match, cruising to a pair of victories on courts two and three in doubles. The duo of freshman Rosie Johanson (Abbotsford, British Columbia) and Kelley picked up the first victory 6-1 on court two over the Eagle pairing of Jackie Urbinati and Wilcox. The freshman duo of Bleser and Camille Favero (Sacramento, Calif.) then secured the doubles point with a 6-0 victory on court three over Dair and Emily Safron.

Boston College tied the match with a singles win on court five, as Safron defeated Favero 6-2, 6-1. Virginia then moved back in front with Kelley’s victory on court three.

The Eagles again evened the score with 6-4, 6-4 victory on court two as Lexi Borr defeated 79th-ranked Johanson on court two. Mercer then moved the lead back into the Cavaliers’ column with her straight-set victory on court one. Virginia led 3-2 as all eyes turned to matchups of freshmen on courts four and six.

Bleser clinched the match with her three-set victory on court six, while Chloe Gullickson (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) battled back and forced a third set on court four. After fighting through a tough first set and claiming the second, Gullickson fell to Boston College’s Dasha Possokhova 5-7, 6-3, 3-6 for the final overall match score of 4-3.

Virginia will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 28, when the Cavaliers host No. 19 LSU, Ole Miss and Wake Forest in the ITA Kickoff Weekend at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

 

No. 23 UVA 4, Boston College 3

Singles
Cassie Mercer (UVA) def. No. 103 Asiya Dair (BC) 6-2, 6-3
Lexi Borr (BC) def. No. 79 Rosie Johanson (UVA), 6-4, 6-4
No. 124 Meghan Kelley (UVA) def. Kylie Wilcox (BC), 6-1, 6-3
Dasha Possokhova (BC) def. Chloe Gullickson (UVA), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Emily Safron (BC) def. Camille Favero (UVA), 6-2, 6-1
Hunter Bleser (UVA) def. Elene Tsokilauri (BC), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 2, 1, 6, 4
Doubles
Gullickson/Mercer (UVA) vs. Borr/Possokhova (BC), 4-3 (unfinished)
Johanson/Kelley (UVA) def. Urbinati/Wilcox (BC), 6-1
Bleser/Favero (UVA) def. Dair/Safron (BC), 6-0
Order of finish: 2, 3