Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. -- The No. 34 Virginia Tech women’s tennis team fought until the final point, but its comeback was cut just short as it fell to No. 40 Notre Dame, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. The Hokies worked their way back from being down 3-0, but were unable to clinch the final point and the match.
Notre Dame (14-6, 8-3 ACC) started the day with the doubles points, but it was a race to the finish for the deciding point. Caroline Daxhelet and Kelly Williford fell to Allison Miller/Julie Vrabel on Court 2, 8-3, to give the Irish the upper hand. Courts 1 and 3 were moving at the same pace, and Raluca Mita/ Ilinca Stoica took a 7-6 lead on Court 1, but Notre Dame’s pairing of Mary Closs/ Jane Fennelly was able to claim the Court 3 win over Elena Cerezo-Codina/ Sansitha Nandakumar, 8-6, to clinch the point.
The Irish kept things rolling in singles play as they picked up a pair of early wins on Courts 4 and 5, but Katherine Butler eased to victory at the No. 6 spot to get Tech (11-7, 4-6 ACC) on the board. Butler knocked off Fennelly 6-4, 6-0 for the Hokies’ first point of the day.
The final three courts left on all went to three sets. Fusinato was the first to finish as she claimed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Robinson at the No. 2 spot to make it a 3-2 match in Notre Dame’s favor.
Both Cerezo-Codina and Stoica were still alive for the Hokies, and Cerezo Codina was able to briefly tie the match at three-all when she won the tiebreak 7-5, and claimed a 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 win over Vrabel on Court 3.
Just moments after the Hokies tied things up, Gleason, for the Irish, won the tiebreak on Court 1 and clinched the match for Notre Dame.
The Hokies will return to the court next weekend for a pair of home matches. Tech will take on NC State on Friday, April 10 at 3 p.m., before hosting Syracuse on Sunday.
Complete Results
Singles
1. Quinn Gleason (ND) def. #106 Ilinca Stoica (VT) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
2. #86 Francesca Fusinato (VT) def. Monica Robinson (ND) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Elena Cerezo-Codina (VT) def. Julie Vrabel (ND) 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Mary Closs (ND) def. Caroline Daxhelet (VT) 6-2, 6-3
5. Allison Miller (ND) def. Raluca Mita (VT) 6-2, 6-1
6. Katherine Butler (VT) def. Jane Fennelly (ND) 6-4, 6-0
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 6, 2, 3, 1*
Doubles
1. Raluca Mita/Ilinca Stoica (VT) def. Quinn Gleason/Monica Robinson (ND) 7-6
2. Allison Miller/Julie Vrabel (ND) def. Caroline Daxhelet/Kelly Williford (VT) 8-3
3. Mary Closs/Jane Fennelly (ND) def. Elena Cerezo-Codina/Sansitha Nandakumar (VT) 8-6
Order of Finish: 2, 3*