No. 3 Virginia Takes Out Gators in NCAA Semifinals Tiebreaker

WACO, Texas— Florida All-Americans Alicia Dudeney and Rachel Gailis were just shy of the NCAA Championships, falling 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 to No. 3 Melodie Collard and Elaine Chervinsky in the semifinals. The Gators were edged by Virginia on Saturday evening at Baylor University.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
To open semifinals play, Virginia took the first game of the match to hold a 1-0 advantage. That would mark Virginia’s only game of set one as the Gators won the following six. Florida closed out the first set quickly at 6-1.

In the second set, Florida was challenged by Virginia, trailing 2-0 to start. From there the Gators were able to tally three games over Chervinsky and Collard, but were unable to claim a lead. Virginia continued to pull ahead and after being within one game of the Gators at 4-3, they closed out set two 6-3.

 

With one set a piece, the semifinals matchup went into a 10-point tiebreaker to decide the 2024 NCAA Championship finalist. Florida took an immediate 5-0 advantage in the match tiebreaker to set the tone early. Virginia then took its first point of the tiebreaker at 5-1 and began to slowly close the margin getting the score to 5-4. The semifinals were unexpectedly knotted at 7-7 and 8-8 before Virginia pulled ahead to take the tiebreaker and match at 1-6, 6-3, 10-8.

 

FLORIDA’S DOUBLES HISTORY AT NCAA’S:

2024-2025 Season 

• Alicia Dudeney and Rachel Gailis made it to the semifinals
  

  • Fell to No. 3 Elaine Chervinsky and Melodie Collard (Virginia), 1-6, 6-3, 10-8

2022-2023 Season 

• Alicia Dudeney and Bente Spee (No.21) made it to the round of 16
  

  • Lost in the quarterfinals to Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig (No. 11), 6-1, 6-2

2021-2022 Season

• Carly Briggs and Marlee Zein (No.23) made it to the round of 32
  

  • Lost first round to Ava Hrastar and Kylie Bilchev (No. 36), 7-6(2), 6-4

2017-2018 Season

• Anna Danilina and Victoria Emma (No. 17) made it to the round of 32

  • Lost first round to Vladica Babic and Sofia Blanco (No. 14), 4-6, 6-4, 10-8

2016-2017 Season

• Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan (No. 20) made it to the quarterfinals

  • Lost in the quarterfinals to Maya Jansen and Maegan Manasse (No. 34), 7-6 (3)

2015-2016 Season

• Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan won the NCAA Doubles Championships

  • Defeated Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr

Semifinals Results:
Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (Virginia)…