#32 Orange Defeat Hokies, 6-1

Friday, March 15

Syracuse, NY

2 pm

Syracuse University

Virginia Tech

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

3/15/2019 5:00:00 PM | Tennis

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The No. 32 Syracuse women's tennis team (10-5, 3-3 ACC) won its sixth match in the last seven outings. The Orange beat Virginia Tech (7-8, 1-5 ACC) convincingly, 6-1, on Friday afternoon at Drumlins Country Club. The Orange used a dominating doubles performance, winning all three sets, followed by a compelling performance in singles play to lock up the conference win.

"We're playing better and better as a team," said Head Coach Younes Limam. "The matches we have played the last three weeks or so have helped us. I think we're playing with a little more sense of urgency and we're committing to our shots and going for it. I was very pleased with how the team competed and came ready to play against a good Virginia Tech team."

Syracuse convincingly won the doubles point. Dina Hegab and Guzal Yusupova won their seventh match of the year with a 6-4 victory against the Hokies' Sarah Baron and Samantha Gillas. On court two, the duo of Sofya Golubovskaya and Sofya Treshcheva also took their doubles set 6-4, clinching the point for the Orange.

At first doubles, Syracuse's pair of No. 70 Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, but Virginia Tech's Natalie Novotna and Rita Pinto battled back to tie it at four. After the match was tied at six, Syracuse won the tiebreaker to sweep the doubles matches.

Ramirez scored Syracuse's first singles point. After losing two of the first three games in the second set, the junior won five straight to win her match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. Ramirez's victory was her 10^th of the season.

Senior Libi Mesh quickly followed with Syracuse's third point. Mesh dominated in her first set, winning 6-1. In the second, the Hokies Rita Pinto pushed back, taking three of the first five to set up a 3-2 advantage. Mesh took back the momentum, winning four of the next five to take the match, 6-1, 6-4.

At fourth singles, Yusupova beat Virginia Tech's Sorkin, 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the match for the Orange. After falling behind, 2-1, Yusupova won the next four to make it 5-2 and eventually won the second set 6-3 and the match.

Knutson beat Natalie Novotna at first singles, 7-5, 4-6, and 10-6 in the pro set third and Sofya Golubovskaya defeated Nika Kozar in a back and forth match at second singles, 4-6, 7-6 (8) and 11-9 in the pro set third.

Virginia Tech's Samantha Gillis scored the Hokies only point of the match with a 7-5, 6-2 victory against Syracuse's Hegab.

Syracuse tennis is back in action on the road on Sunday. The team travels to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for another ACC matchup against Wake Forest. After the short trip, Syracuse starts a five-match home stand against Florida State on 11 a.m. at Drumlins Country Club.