The University of Virginia men’s and women’s tennis teams advanced to the NCAA tournament’s round of 16, according to a May 3 report from VirginiaSports.com. Both teams secured victories at the Boar’s Head Resort over the weekend, with the men defeating Rider and Columbia, while the women won against Saint Francis and Washington.
The achievement highlights a strong season for both programs. The Cavalier women, seeded seventh, are making their sixth consecutive appearance in the Sweet Sixteen. Team captain Melodie Collard played a key role in Sunday’s win by teaming up with Vivian Yang for a doubles victory and later securing her singles match. “She’s won a lot of matches for us this year,” head coach Sara O’Leary said of Collard, “but there’s just so much more that she’s contributed to this team… She always does the right thing. She’s always coming in for extra [work]. She’s probably the fittest person on our team. And she speaks up… She’s meant so much.”
Collard emphasized her leadership approach: “I try to remind them every day that they deserve to be on this team, that I’m proud to have them as teammates… I think that’s my biggest role as a captain.” Last month, UVA captured its first outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in program history.
O’Leary pointed out the team’s unity as an important factor: “When they’re out here playing, next to each other, you feel how connected they are… And I think that’s why it wasn’t a surprise seeing them all finish [around] the same time.” After winning crucial doubles points against Washington, singles victories quickly followed from Martina Genis Salas, Collard herself, and Isabelle Lacy.
Lacy described playing alongside her teammates: “Playing next to [Collard and Genis Salas], they have so much energy… You can kind of feel the noise increasing and everybody getting more excited.” O’Leary highlighted composure during tense moments: “You could see it out there that they wanted to be in that moment. They weren’t afraid of it.”
Looking ahead, both UVA teams will host NCAA super regionals next weekend; the men face South Carolina on Friday while the women play LSU on Saturday at home. Collard reflected on her experience at Virginia: “This facility is amazing,” she said. Lacy added: “It’s an honor to play here… The support is amazing.” O’Leary concluded by thanking supporters: “It makes a huge difference… we’re really excited about next Saturday.”
