Women’s tennis: No. 8 Virginia downs BYU 7-0 in ITA kickoff event

The No. 8 Virginia women’s tennis team opened the ITA Kickoff weekend with a shutout victory on Friday, defeating BYU by a score of 7-0 to advance to Saturday’s finals at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

Virginia (2-0) and No. 56 Columbia (1-0) both picked up wins in the first day of action to advance to the winner’s match at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Columbia defeated Maryland, who will now face BYU in the consolation match at 10 a.m.

Senior Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) picked up her 100th career victory in singles play, rallying in the first set before closing the second set strongly for a 6-4, 6-1 win over Nicolette Paulsen.

The Cavaliers grabbed the doubles point with a pair of 6-0 wins on courts one and two. Seniors Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) and Skylar Morton (Bethesda, Md.) won the first doubles match. Senior Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and freshman Meghan Kelley (Falmouth, Me.) then secured the doubles point with their win. The duo of Collins and Kelley is ranked No. 19 in the ITA rankings.

In singles play, the Cavaliers got the first victory of the afternoon 6-2, 6-1from Kelley on court six, before Morton would add a third point with her 7-5, 6-0 win on court three. Nauta then clinched the match with her win on court four.

Elbaba and Collins then closed out their matches just moments later on courts one and two. Elbaba won 6-2, 6-2, while Collins won 6-3, 6-1. Victoria Olivarez (Virginia Beach, Va.) then clinched the shutout as she rallied for a 6-4, 7-5 win on court five.

Singles
1. Danielle Collins (UVA) def. Mayci Jones (BYU), 6-3, 6-1
2. Julia Elbaba (UVA) def. Savannah Ware (BYU), 6-2, 6-2
3. Skylar Morton (UVA) def. Toby Miclat (BYU), 7-5, 6-0
4. Stephanie Nauta (UVA) def. Nicolette Paulsen (BYU), 6-4, 6-1
5. Victoria Olivarez (UVA), Natella Nabieva (BYU), 6-4, 7-5
6. Meghan Kelley (UVA)def. Taylah Beckman (BYU), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles
1. Collins/Kelley (UVA) def. Miclat/Beckman (BYU), 6-0
2. Elbaba/Morton (UVA) def. Poulsen/Ware (BYU), 6-0
3. Nauta/Olivarez (UVA) susp. Jones/Nabieva (BYU), 5-1