VCU Tennis sweeps CAA

VCU Tennis claimed both Colonial Athletic Association titles with tournament victories by the No. 1 men’s and women’s team. The men’s team defeated No. 2 William & Mary in a 4-0 rout while the women’s team rallied for a 4-3 win against W&M.

Men’s Tennis won doubles matches in two close calls. No. 2 team Marton Ott and Mats Norin put away the Tribe’s Geoff Russell and Alex Fish 8-5. The No. 3 doubles pair for VCU of Francesc Lleal and Daniel Casquero faced Jeff Kader and Zack Malmgren and defeated them 9-8.

Ott defeated Kader on the individual side 6-1, 6-4, while Lleal defeated W&M’s Stephen Ward 6-3,6-1. The Ram’s Norin defeated Malmgren 6-3,6-0 to close out straight set singles victories for VCU.

This most recent battle between the two CAA opponents is the fourth time in five years that W&M and VCU have faced each other in CAA final action. Both teams are ranked nationally. VCU was most recently ranked 17th in the Collegiate Tennis Rankings while W&M showed up in 46th place.

VCU earns an automatic NCAA Tennis Championship bid with the CAA title and there is still a chance for W&M to earn an at large berth.

The women’s team, ranked 13th in the nation played a close tournament to 9th place W&M but VCU pulled off the late victory, and the CAA title.

The Tribe’s double team of Candice Fuchs and Kate Boomershire stole the match against VCU’s Barbora Zahnova and Silvia Urickova after coming back from a 5-3 deficit to win 8-5. The W&M pair of Kari Olsen and Nina Kamp won four straight to come from behind and defeat VCU’s Cristina Gago and Ana Franco 9-7.

The Rams evened up the score when Beatriz Cabrera defeated her opponent 6-1, 6-3. However, the Tribe fought back with Nina Kamp and Lena Sherbakov winning their matches for W&M in straight sets.

VCU rallied in the final three matches with Zahnova defeating Fuchs 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 and Urickova beating Amy Wei 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. In the deciding match, Marina Escobar-Martinez defeated Megan Muth from W&M 4-6,7-5, 6-2 for the victory.

The match marked the fifth time in seven years that the women’s team appeared in the CAA finals match-up, however the team had lost to W&M the four previous times. The Tribe has won 16 out of the last 17 CAA Women’s Tennis Championships.

The 23-0 VCU women’s team also earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, with W&M expected to receive an at large berth.

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