NORFOLK, Va. – The 30th ranked Old Dominion women's tennis team returns to action this week with three road matches. On Thursday, they'll visit Navy for a 2 p.m. start, then head to Princeton for a Friday 3 p.m. match. The swing concludes against Columbia on Sunday for a 1 p.m. start.
Old Dominion enters 10-5 after a 7-0 win over Norfolk State on March 10. Yuliia Starodubtseva leads the team in the spring with an 11-1 singles mark, while Sofia Johnson is 11-4 and Alexandra Viktorovich is 10-1. In doubles, the duo of Starodubtseva and Tatsiana Sasnouskaya lead the team in the spring with a 5-3 record. Sofia Johnson and Viktorovich are 4-0 at number two doubles as well.
In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Rankings released on Wednesday, the Monarchs came in at 30th in the team poll. Individually, Starodubtseva moved up five spots to 28th in singles and Viktorovich came in at 76th. In doubles, the duo of Starodubtseva and Sasnouskaya are third.
ABOUT NAVY
The Midshipmen are 16-2 this spring after going 3-1 on a spring break swing to Orlando, Florida. They last played on March 16 defeating Bradley (5-2) and Merrimack (7-0). Navy is currently 12-0 at home this season.
Leading the Midshipmen is Meghana Komarraju with a 19-5 record this year and 10-0 in dual matches. Emily Tannenbaum is just behind her with a 19-9 record this year, while Stella Ribaudo is 16-6 overall and 10-2 in dual matches.
In doubles, the tandem of Komarraju and Katreina Corpuz leads the team in wins with a 15-6 record overall and 8-1 in dual matches. Jillian Taggert and Kacey Moore are just behind them with a 7-2 mark in dual matches and a 10-6 overall record.
These teams will also play in Norfolk on April 10.
ABOUT PRINCETON
The Tigers are ranked 58th this week and are 4-9 overall with seven of the losses coming to teams ranked in the ITA Top 25. This will be the first home match of the year for Princeton. The Tigers last saw action on March 10 falling 6-1 to then second-ranked Pepperdine in Malibu, California.
Daria Frayman and Victoria Hu lead Princeton in singles wins this year with 18, while Neha Velaga had 16 overall and tops the team in dual match wins with five. Frayman is ranked #1 in singles in the recent ITA rankings, while Hu is ranked 25th and Brianna Shvets is 66th
In doubles, the tandem of Nathalie Rodilosso and Shvets lead Princeton with a 9-8 record and a spring best 5-6 dual match mark. Frayman and Grace Joyce are ranked 19th in doubles in the ITA rankings.
ABOUT COLUMBIA
Columbia is 10-5 on the spring season and ranked 43rd. They last saw action on March 18 with a 4-3 loss to 40th-ranked San Diego in California. They'll face Cornell on Saturday before taking on the Monarchs on Sunday.
ODU HEAD COACH DOMINIC MANILLA ON WEEKEND ROAD TRIP
"These next three road matches will be a tough test for our program. All three teams we face are coached by some of the top coaching staffs in the nation. Navy is an experienced team that has always pushed us. I'm expecting a battle at their place.
"When I looked at our schedule to start the year, I had Princeton tabbed as perhaps the most talented team. Much of their roster is the same as in 2020 when they cracked the top five and they're currently led by the top-ranked player in the nation. While they haven't had the results I am sure they were expecting thus far, I fully expect them to be very hungry for an opportunity at home to play.
"Last year we had a tough match against Columbia in the ITA Kickoff. I expect the same emotional battle they brought us last time, except it is at their place.
No. 30 Women's Tennis Hits Road For Three Matches This Week
