Virginia Road Trip Opens ACC Play

Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech
Match Details: Friday, Feb. 25 | 2 p.m. | Burrows-Burrelson Tennis Center
Live Stats: Stats
Live Stream: Stream

Syracuse vs. Virginia
Match Details: Sunday, Feb. 27 | 11 a.m. | Virginia Tennis Facility
Live Video: Video
Live Stats: Stats

Syracuse: News | Roster | Schedule
Virginia Tech: News | Roster | Schedule
Virginia: News | Roster | Schedule

No. 67 ranked Syracuse (6-1, 0-0) hits the road this weekend for its second road trip of the spring season to kick off ACC action. The Orange face Virginia Tech (4-5, 0-0) on Friday, Feb. 25 before traveling two hours northeast to take on the ITA's No. 9 ranked Cavaliers (8-1, 0-0) on Sunday. SU was slated to open ACC play one week earlier, but the match with Boston College was postponed due to COVID protocols within the Eagles' program.

The Orange beat Virginia Tech 4-3 when they met 364 days prior at Drumlins, and they lead the all-time series, 7-6. 'Cuse took the doubles point in that match and clinched the day with help from singles victories by Viktoriya Kanapatskaya, Polina Kozyreva and Sofya Treshcheva. The Hokies return seven players from last year's squad, which posted a 7-4 non-conference record before going winless in ACC play. Among returners is Israeli sophomore Tamara Barad Itzhaki, who bested the Orange's Natalie Novotna in a lengthy and extremely close match last year, 7-6, 2-6, 13-11. Barad Itzhaki is 5-3 playing out of the No. 1 singles spot this spring, where she will likely meet Kanapatskaya or Miyuka Kimoto this Saturday. VT meets the Orange coming off an easy 7-0 home victory against Radford.

SU did not have the same luck against the Cavaliers on its all-Virginia weekend last year. Despite grabbing the doubles point, Syracuse could not close the match out in singles competition. It has hardly been a rich history for the Orange when facing UVA. Snapping the winless drought will not be easy in Charlottesville; Virginia boasts three nationally ranked top-60 players. The highest of those three is local Virginian Natasha Subhash. UVA's junior is currently the ITA's No. 15 player and has been ranked as high as No. 9 in her career, but her No. 11 ranking did not stop Viktoriya Kanapatskaya from defeating her in straight sets last year. No. 28 Emma Navarro and senior Amber O'Dell make up the ITA's No. 7 ranked doubles duo and will be tough competition for Coach Younes Limam's top pair. The doubles point in Charlottesville will certainly be a litmus test for the Orange with four of Virginia's combos ranked inside the top-60.

'Cuse Notes

On Track: The Orange are 6-1 through their first seven matches for the third time under Coach Limam. That mark ties Syracuse's start to the 2018 campaign and the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, but it falls just short of the 2016 team's 7-0 opening run. Both the 2016 and 2018 squads earned bids to the NCAA Tournament.
Seventh Heaven: Polina Kozyreva and Shiori Ito remain undefeated in singles play with matching 7-0 records and Miyuka Kimoto is not far off with six wins of her own. Both Kimoto and Kanapatskaya are on four-match singles winning streaks.
Consistency is Key: Coach Limam has shuffled the doubles roster through seven matches, but Kanapatskaya and Ines Fonte have remained consistent with five victories in six attempts.
On a Roll: Sofya Treshcheva has taken four consecutive doubles matches, teaming up with Polina Kozyreva against Cornell and Shiori Ito to top Drexel, Buffalo, and Niagara.
Fabulous Freshmen: Ito and Kimoto are both 6-1 in doubles matches. They are 3-1 when playing together, Kimoto is 3-0 with Kozyreva, and Ito is 3-0 with Treshcheva. The two freshmen are cruising. Ito's spring record is a staggering 13-1 and Kimoto's is 12-2. Combine that with their fall performances and the two account for 23 singles and 15 doubles victories so far in their first year with the Orange.
Straight Up: Kozyreva is not only undefeated in spring singles matches, but she is also yet to lose a set. Her seven-match, 14-set winning streak amounts to a 84-22 games record.

Updates for both matches can be found at the live stats links above and by following Syracuse Women's Tennis on Twitter @Cuse_Tenis and on Instagram @CuseTennis.

Syracuse returns home for a weekend of ACC competition on Friday, Mar. 4. No. 47 Georgia Tech is up first, followed by Clemson. At this time, fans are welcome at the Drumlins Tennis Club for Orange home matches. Admission is free. Fans must follow Syracuse University protocols, which can be found at Syracuse/edu/staysafe.