Old Dominion University women’s tennis lost 4-2 to the University of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on May 1.
The match, held in Durham, North Carolina, ended Old Dominion’s postseason run. The team competed against a higher-ranked opponent and kept several matches close throughout the contest.
Head Coach Dominic Manilla said, “Hats off to Tennessee for coming out on top of a hard-fought match. I’m proud of the way we competed today. We put ourselves in position to win the match but just couldn’t get over the hump.”
In doubles play, Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso from Tennessee defeated Marina Markina and Uladzislava Manzhos with a score of 6-1. Francesca Mattioli and Vanesa Suarez secured another doubles victory for Tennessee by beating Kira Matushkina and Victoria Matasova 6-3. The third doubles match was suspended with Katrina Scott and Maeve Thornton leading Ulyana Romanova and Lidiia Rasskouskaia at 5-3.
In singles competition, Katrina Scott recorded a win for Tennessee over Kira Matushkina (6-2, 6-1). Old Dominion earned its first point when Ulyana Romanova defeated Catherine Aulia (6-4, 6-3). Vanesa Suarez added another point for Tennessee by beating Uladzislava Manzhos (7-5, 6-1), followed by Francesca Mattioli’s victory over Lidiia Rasskouskaia (6-3, 6-3). Marina Markina scored one more point for Old Dominion after defeating Saray Yli-Piipari (6-2, 6-4).
Manilla concluded by saying, “I’m happy for the spirit we displayed and how evident it was that we wanted to win. Thank you to the fans, our staff, Dr. Selig and the entire athletic department, as well as President Hemphill, for the honor to represent ODU. We are already ready for next season. Go Monarchs!”
The result marks an end to Old Dominion’s season while highlighting their competitive effort against nationally ranked opponents.
