PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – For the third year in a row, the Old Dominion women's tennis team can add a piece of hardware to the trophy case with the words Conference Champions on it.
The 33rd-ranked Monarchs blanked James Madison 4-0 on Sunday afternoon to capture the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship at the Peachtree City Tennis Center. This makes it three straight years that ODU has won a conference title capturing the last two in Conference USA.
Coming off the men's team winning last week, ODU's sweep of the tournament titles is the first time since 2019 that the same team won both Sun Belt titles when South Alabama did the sweep.
Doubles got going with Tatsiana Sasnouskaya and Sofia Johnson taking a 6-2 win over Kylie Moulin and Ines Oliveira at line one. After each team won their first games on their serves, the ODU duo ripped off the next four games to take a commanding 5-1 lead en route to the win.
The point was clinched at line three with Shahar Biran and Alesya Yakubovich scoring a 6-4 win over Dana Afanasyeva and Reka Matko. Biran and Yakubovich ran off three straight game wins after dropping the opening game of the set to gain momentum for the doubles point.
In singles, Sasnouskaya put ODU up 2-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Moulin at line one. The senior won the first three and last three games of the opening set. In set two, after Moulin won the opener of game two Sasnouskaya ripped off six straight for the win.
Alexandra Viktorovitch matched Sasnouskaya's scores in a win over Ines Oliveira at line five for a 3-0 ODU lead. She jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the opening set and followed suit in set two winning the first three games and then the last three.
Sofia Johnson locked up the championship at line two with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Afanasyeva. She closed out each set winning the last two games, including a break of serve in the clinching game of the second set.
"We feel very good and very fortunate to win this title," said ODU Head Coach Dominic Manilla. "Our team played well all week, came out on a mission and executed beautifully this week. When you're the one-seed you have a target on your back and I feel we rose to the occasion each time, handling everything everyone threw at us so well with such grace. They deserved this and I am so happy for them."
ODU will learn its NCAA Tournament destination and opponent on Monday night at 6 p.m. with a selection show on ncaa.com.
Tennis Match Results
James Madison vs Old Dominion
4/30/2023 at Peachtree City, Ga.
(Peachtree City Tennis Center)
#33 Old Dominion 4, James Madison 0
Singles competition
1. #35 Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU-W) def. Kylie Moulin (JMU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Sofia Johnson (ODU-W) def. Daria Afanasyeva (JMU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Shahar Biran (ODU-W) vs. Daniela Voloh (JMU) 6-7 (2-7), unfinished
4. Alesya Yakubovich (ODU-W) led. Daria Munteanu (JMU) 6-3, 3-5, unfinished
5. Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU-W) def. Ines Oliveira (JMU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Allison Isaacs (ODU-W) led Hope Moulin (JMU) 6-3, 4-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #40 Sofia Johnson/Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU-W) def. Kylie Moulin/Ines Oliveira (JMU) 6-2
2. Allison Isaacs/Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU-W) led Daria Munteanu/Daniela Voloh (JMU) 4-3, unfinished
3. Shahar Biran/Alesya Yakubovich (ODU-W) def. Daria Afanasyeva/Reka Matko (JMU) 6-4
Match Notes:
James Madison 15-8
Old Dominion 18-4; National ranking #33
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,1,2)
Sun Belt Conference Championship
Women's Tennis Sweeps James Madison 4-0 For 2023 Sun Belt Championship
