WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The No. 53-ranked William and Mary women's tennis team opened Colonial Athletic Association play with a 4-3 victory over UNCW at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center on Saturday evening. The Green and Gold won the doubles points, before juniors Jeltje Loomans and Hope Johnson and freshman Leeza Nemchinov rolled to straight-set singles victories to clinch the team triumph. The Tribe improved to 5-2 on the year, while the Seahawks fell to 1-1.

The Green and Gold took the doubles point with convincing wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. The No. 3 nationally ranked team of juniors Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans upended Olga Blanks and Angie Sekely, 8-2, at the top position to improve to 14-2 overall and 5-1 in dual-match competition. Senior Anik Cepeda and junior Sydney Smith clinched the pairs point with an 8-4 win over Christine Kharkevich and Alyssa Ritchie at No. 3. The Green and Gold duo improved to 2-1 in dual-match competition.

After falling behind a break at 3-1 in the opening set, Loomans reeled off 11 straight games on the way to a straight-set win at the No. 2 slot. The Tribe junior ripped off five straight games to take the opening set, 6-3, before picking up a spotless 6-0 victory in the second. Loomans upped her season mark to 6-4, including a 5-2 ledger in dual-match play.

Johnson continued her hot singles play with a dominating win at the No. 4 post to increase the Tribe advantage to 3-0. Johnson bounced Blanks, 6-0, 6-2, in winning her fourth straight dual match. She improved to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in dual-match play with the victory.

Nemchinov cemented the Tribe victory with a triumph at the No. 3 singles slot. The Tribe rookie downed UNCW's Christina Riley, 6-1, 6-3, for her sixth win in the last eight matches. Nemchinov upped her season ledger to 11-9, including a 5-2 duals mark.

W&M travels to Blacksburg, Va., to face Virginia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 9, at noon. The Tribe returns home, opening a four-match homestand against West Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 16, before welcoming No. 30 South Carolina to Williamsburg on Sunday, Feb. 17.

#53 William and Mary 4, UNCW 3
Singles
No. 1 - Angie Sekely (UNCW) def. Maria Belaya (W&M) - 6-7 (4), 6-4, 10-8
No. 2 - Jeltje Loomans (W&M) def. Alyssa Ritchie (UNCW) - 6-3, 6-0
No. 3 - Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) def. Christina Riley (UNCW) - 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 - Hope Johnson (W&M) def. Ogla Blanks (UNCW) - 6-0, 6-2
No. 5 - Kelly Cameron (UNCW) def. Anik Cepeda (W&M) - 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 - Christine Kharkevich (UNCW) def. Sydney Smith (W&M) - 6-1, 4-6, 10-1
Finishing Order: 2, 4, 3*, 5, 6, 1

Doubles
No. 1 - #3 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) def. Blank/Sekely (UNCW) - 8-2
No. 2 - Johnson/Nemchinov (W&M) vs. Cameron/Hales (UNCW) - 4-4, abandoned
No. 3 - Cepeda/Smith (W&M) def. Kharkevitch/Ritchie (UNCW) - 8-4
Finishing Order: 1, 3*