DENTON, Texas – In the semifinals of the 2021 Conference USA Championships, the No. 34 nationally ranked Old Dominion women's tennis team took down Florida Atlantic by a 4-1 score on Saturday afternoon at the Waranch Tennis Complex.
Brooke Pilkington and Alexandra Viktorovich finished their doubles match first, winning 6-4. No. 76 Tatsiana Sasnouskaya and Holly Hutchinson secured the doubles point for Old Dominion after claiming a 7-6 victory.
No. 52 Yulia Starodubtseva gave ODU a 2-0 lead after a 6-3, 6-3 singles win. No. 64 Sasnouskaya also won her singles match in straight sets 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) to expand the Monarchs lead to 3-1. No. 123 Hutchinson outlasted FAU's Martina Kudelova 6-2, 7-6 (15-13) to seal the deal on Old Dominion's semifinal victory.
"We knew this was going to be a tough match. I am very proud of our team for gutting it out," said ODU head coach Dominic Manilla. "Looking ahead to tomorrow, FIU is a really good team and have beaten Rice twice this season. It should be a great match tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it."
Old Dominion has now appeared in the past two C-USA title matches, as ODU lost to Rice 4-2 in 2019. The Monarchs will look to claim their first ever C-USA title against Florida International on Sunday at 11 a.m. The winner of Sunday's match earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. No. 3 seed/No. 45 nationally ranked FIU defeated No. 2 seed/No. 37 nationally ranked Rice by a 4-2 score earlier today. The Panthers enter Sunday's match against the Monarchs with a perfect 12-0 record.
No. 1 seed ODU (11-4) has now won nine straight matches, while outscoring its opponents 47-9 during the win streak.
For more information on the 2021 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championships, please visit: Conference USA Championship Central.
Tennis Match Results
Florida Atlantic vs Old Dominion
Apr 24, 2021 at Denton, TX
(Waranch Tennis Complex)
#34 Old Dominion 4, Florida Atlantic 1
Singles competition
1. #123 Holly Hutchinson (ODU) def. Kudelova, Martina (FAU) 6-2, 7-6 (15-13)
2. #52 Yulia Starodubtseva (ODU) def. Boltinskaya, Natalia (FAU) 6-3, 6-3
3. #64 Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU) def. Kimhi, May (FAU) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4)
4. Buzkova, Radka (FAU) def. Alesya Yakubovich (ODU) 6-2, 7-5
5. Brooke Pilkington (ODU) vs. Kallmunzerova, Na (FAU) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0, unfinished
6. Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU) vs. Filip, Katerina (FAU) 6-2, 3-6, 2-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Buzkova, Radka/Kudelova, Martina (FAU) def. #60 Yulia Starodubtseva/Alesya Yakubovich (ODU) 7-5
2. #76 Tatsiana Sasnouskaya/Holly Hutchinson (ODU) def. Boltinskaya, Natalia/McLelland, Louie (FAU) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Brooke Pilkington/Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU) def. Filip, Katerina/Kimhi, May (FAU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Florida Atlantic 10-7
Old Dominion 11-4; National ranking #34
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,4,3,1)
No. 34 ODU Wins Ninth Straight, Advances to C-USA Title After 4-1 Win Over FAU
Yulia Starodubtseva