PALMAS DEL RIO, Puerto Rico – The Old Dominion women’s tennis team impressed at the Puerto Rico College Challenge in Palmas del Mar over the weekend, highlighted by ODU freshman Holly Hutchinson downing the No. 12 ranked player in the country, while Hutchinson and teammate Nataliya Vlasova defeated the No. 17 ranked doubles tandem in the nation.
The three-day tournament featured a round robin format of singles and doubles matches against student-athletes from Georgia, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
Adriana Rajkovic, Marijana Novakovic, Borislava Botusharova, Holly Hutchinson and Nataliya Vlasova each picked up a win in singles play, while Natalya Malenko claimed two victories in singles action. ODU’s sophomore Vlasova and freshman Hutchinson teamed up to go a perfect 2-0 in doubles.
Hutchinson took care of Vanderbilt’s No. 12 nationally ranked Sydney Campbell (6-0, 3-0), while Hutchinson and Vlasova got the better of Vanderbilt’s No. 17 ranked tandem of Campbell and Emily Smith via an 8-6 score.
The Puerto Rico College Challenge marked the final event of the ODU women’s tennis fall schedule. The Lady Tennis Monarchs will be back in action on Sat., Jan. 14, when they host Temple to the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
MEET THE ELITE COMPETITION
UGA has claimed two national titles and appeared in the NCAA Tournament a total of 27 times. Old Dominion was somewhat familiar with Georgia after the Lady Monarchs traveled to Athens for the ITA Kickoff event last season, with three matches going into the third set.
Vanderbilt, who won the national championship two years ago, has a pair ranked in the top 20 with senior Sydney Campbell at No. 12 and junior Astra Sharma at No. 19. Sharma reached the semifinals of the Riviera All-American Championships this past September. In doubles, Campbell and sophomore Emily Smith are ranked No. 17 while Sharma and sophomore Fernanda Contreras are No. 52.
Virginia ended last season ranked No. 13, features freshman Rosie Johanson, who is ranked eighth nationally in the Oracle/ITA Newcomer rankings. Johanson and sophomore Meghan Kelley check in at No. 38 for Virginia. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2016 before falling to Vanderbilt. The Commodores reached the NCAA semifinals and ended the year ranked No. 5.
ODU vs. UGA
1. #21 Caroline Brinson (UGA) def. Borislava Botusharova (ODU) 6-0,4-6,10-5
2. #14 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. Holly Hutchinson (ODU) 6-3,6-2
3. Marta Gonzalez (UGA) def. Natalya Malenko (ODU) 6-1,7-6(2)
4. Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Nataliya Vlasova (ODU) 6-2,6-1
5. Laura Patterson (UGA) def. Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3
6. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) def. Abby Walter (UGA) 6-0, 6-1
7. Marijana Novakovic (ODU) def. Stephanie Grodecki (UGA) 6-0,6-2
ODU vs. UVA
1. Rosie Johanson (UVA) def. Holly Hutchinson (ODU) 4-6,6-3, (10-4)
2. Borislava Botusharova (ODU) def. Teodora Radosavlkevic (UVA), 6-4,6-1
3. Natalya Malenko (ODU) def. Chloe Gullickson (UVA), 6-7,6-2, (10-6)
4. Meghan Kelley (UVA) def. Nataliya Vlasova (ODU) 7-6,6-2
5. Camille Favero (UVA) def. Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) 6-1,6-3
6. Hunter Bleser (UVA) def. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) 4-6,7-6, (10-3)
7. Erica Susi (UVA) def. Marijana Novakovic (ODU) 2-6, 6-0,(10-4)
1. Hutchinson/Vlasova (ODU) def. Bleser/Johanson (UVA), 7-6
2. Favero/Kelley (UVA) def. Botusharova/Novakovic (ODU) 6-3
3. Gullickson/Radosavljevic (UVA) def. Malenko/Rajkovic (ODU) 6-3
ODU vs. Vanderbilt
1. #19 Astra Sharma (VU) def. Borislava Botusharova (ODU), 6-3, 6-2
2. Holly Hutchinson (ODU) def. #12 Sydney Campbell (VU), 6-0, 3-0
3. Emma Kurtz (VU) def. Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU), 5-7, 6-3, 10-5
4. Nataliya Vlasova (ODU) def. Emily Smith (VU), 6-4, 6-7(5), 10-8
5. Christina Rosca (VU) def. Marijana Novakovic (ODU), 6-0, 6-2
6. Natalya Malenko (ODU) def. Georgina Sellyn (VU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
7. Fernanda Contreras (VU) def. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU), 6-2, 6-1
1. Hutchinson/Vlasova (ODU) def. #17 Smith/Campbell (VU), 8-6
2. Sharma/Kurtz (VU) def. Novakovic/Botusharova (ODU), 8-2
3. Rosca/Contreras (VU) def. Rajkovic/Malenko (ODU), 8-4
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