WILLIAMSBURG — No. 3 seed William & Mary (W&M) rolled into the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Championship thanks to a 4-0 win over No. 6 seed UNCW on Friday evening at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
After winning the doubles point, the Tribe (6-8) received singles victories from junior Mila Saric (No. 1) and sophomores Elisa Van Meeteren (No. 3) and Raffaela Alhach (No. 5) to secure its third-straight win. The Green and Gold improved to 12-0 all-time vs. the Seahawks (9-9), including a 7-0 mark in the CAA Tournament.
How It Happened
– The Tribe won the doubles point in under 30 minutes thanks to wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Graduate student Jill van den Dungen and senior Vitoria Okuyama did not drop a game in rolling to their third-straight win, 6-0, at the top spot over UNCW’s Anna Parker-Shumate and Maddy Muller-Hughes.
– The sophomore tandem Alhach and Van Meeteren clinched the point with a win at No. 3. The duo won the final four games in upending Anna Daniels and Brinley Bell, 6-1. Alhach and Van Meeteren improved to 3-2 on the year.
– Saric dropped just five games in winning her sixth in a row at the top spot. The Tribe junior downed former teammate Charlotte Madson, who spend the 2020-21 season at UNCW as a graduate student, 6-3, 6-2, to increase the Tribe lead to 2-0. Saric improved to 9-2 at the top spot.
– On line five, Alhach continued her winning ways with her fourth-straight victory. She dropped only three games in a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Zoe Huffman. Alhach improved to 5-3 on the year and a perfect 4-0 at No. 5.
– The Tribe won the first set at all six singles positions, and it was Van Meeteren who put the finishing touches on the victory with a triumph at No. 3. She won the final three games in a straight-sets 6-4, 6-4 victory over Maddy Muller-Hughes. Van Meeteren won her second straight and her fifth overall on the season.
Up Next
The Tribe is back in action in the CAA Semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. against No. 2 seed Elon. The teams played a close 4-3 contest at Elon on April 3. Note the updated time for Saturday’s semifinal as the contest was moved up two hours due forecasted weather in Williamsburg. James Madison and Charleston square off in the other semifinal at the Millie West Tennis Facility at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The 2021 CAA Tennis Championship will be closed to the general public. The semifinals on Saturday and championship on Sunday will be limited to team and player pass lists to keep the Millie West Tennis Facility within the limits of COVID-19 capacity. If matches are moved indoors due to inclement weather, the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center will be closed to all spectators.
#3 William & Mary 4, #6 UNCW 0
Singles
No. 1 – Mila Saric (W&M) def. Charlotte Madson (UNCW) – 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 – Jill van den Dungen (W&M) vs. Celeste Matute (UNCW) – DNF, 6-3, 4-5
No. 3 – Elisa Van Meeteren (W&M) def. Maddy Muller-Hughes (UNCW) – 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 – Vitoria Okuyama (W&M) vs. Rachel Marthinsen (UNCW) – DNF, 6-4, 4-4
No. 5 – Raffaela Alhach (W&M) def. Zoe Huffman (UNCW) – 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 – Alisia Manolescu (W&M) vs. Sarah Merrill (UNCW) – DNF, 6-4, 2-1
Finishing Order: 1, 5, 3*
Doubles
No. 1 – van den Dungen/Okuyama (W&M) def. Muller-Hughes/Anna Parker-Shumate (UNCW) – 6-0
No. 2 – Saric/Alisia Manolescu (W&M) vs. Madson/Huffman (UNCW) – DNF, 4-3
No. 3 – Alhach/Van Meeteren (W&M) def. Daniels/Brinley Bell UNCW) – 6-1
Finishing Order: 1, 3*
CATCH UP ON MORE STORIES FROM WYDAILY: