Virginia Women’s Tennis | Three Cavaliers Punch Tickets to NCAA Individual Championships

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Three members of the Virginia women’s tennis team qualified for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships with their finishes at the ITA East Sectional, held Nov. 7-10, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

This is the first year that the singles and doubles championships will be contested in the fall instead of after the NCAA team championship in the spring.

Junior Annabelle Xu secured an invitation to compete in the NCAA Singles Championship by advancing to the semifinals of sectionals. Xu, the No. 3 seed in the draw, won her first three matches to reach the semifinals before withdrawing from Sunday’s singles semifinals.

Senior Elaine Chervinsky also qualified for the NCAA Singles Championship. Chervinsky lost to the top seed in the quarterfinals but won Sunday’s 5-8 playoff match in three sets to earn one of the six singles invitations awarded at the sectional.

Despite withdrawing from her Sunday’s singles match, Xu was back on the court in doubles later that afternoon, partnering with freshman Martina Genis Salas, to top a duo from Penn in the third-place playoff to secure a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship. Xu and Genis Salas, the No. 4 seed, advanced to the semifinals of the doubles draw before falling but won the playoff to earn their NCAA invitation.

Melodie Collard and Genis Salas also competed in the singles main draw, each falling in the round of 16. In doubles, Meggie Navarro and Sara Ziodato won the doubles consolation with a trio of wins following an opening round loss.

Xu and Chervinsky join grad student Sara Ziodato in the NCAA Singles Championship. Ziodato qualified last month with her runner-up finish at…