HOUSTON, Texas - The William and Mary women's tennis team outdistanced Houston, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at the Houston Country Club. The Green and Gold claimed the doubles point before juniors
Maria Belaya,
Jeltje Loomans,
Hope Johnson and
Sydney Smith claimed singles wins to clinch the Tribe victory. W&M improved to 13-4 overall, while Houston fell to 12-7.
The Tribe won at the top two doubles positions to claim the initial point of the match. Belaya and Loomans, who are ranked No. 5 nationally, picked up an 8-5 triumph over Rocio Martin Fernandez and Charlotte Phillips at the top spot. The pair improved to 22-3 overall and 13-2 at the No. 1 post. At No. 2, senior
Anik Cepeda and Johnson outlasted Elena Kordolaimi and Jo Garvey, 9-7. The Tribe duo evened their dual-match match at 3-3 with their fifth win this season and 20th over the duo's career.
In singles competition, Smith turned in a stellar three-set win at the No. 6 position. The Tribe junior took the opening set from Dionne Sanders, 6-1, before the Houston player won the second 6-2. Sanders carried that momentum over to the third set, taking a 4-0 lead, before Smith reeled off six straight games to claim her sixth dual-match win of the season. She tallied her 13th singles win overall.
At the top singles position, Belaya picked up a straight sets win over Elena Kordolaimi, 6-2, 6-2. The Tribe junior won her ninth match of the year at the top spot and improved to 17-10 overall.
Loomans and Johnson registered wins at the No. 3 and No. 5 singles positions for the Green and Gold. Loomans won her second match in as many tries, upending Rocio Martin Fernandez, 6-3, 6-3, at the No. 3 post. It marked her 10th overall as she moved to 3-1 at No. 3. Johnson bounced Charlotte Phillips, 6-2, 7-6 (5), at No. 5 for eight dual-match win of the season. Overall, the Tribe junior tallied her 13th win on the year.
Following its five-match road swing, the Tribe returns home to face No. 56 Georgia State on Friday, April 5. The match carries at 3 p.m. start time at the
Millie West Tennis Facility.
#44 William and Mary 5, Houston 2
Singles
No. 1 –
Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Elena Kordolaimi (Houston) – 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 –
Jeltje Loomans (W&M) def. Rocio Martin Fernandez (Houston) – 6-3, 6-3
No. 4 – Maja Kazimieruk (Houston) def.
Anik Cepeda (W&M) – 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 –
Hope Johnson (W&M) def. Charlotte Phillips (Houston) – 6-2, 7-6 (5)
No. 6 –
Sydney Smith (W&M) def. Dionne Sanders (Houston) – 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 - #5 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) def. Martin Fernandez/Phllips (Houston) – 8-5
No. 2 – Cepeda/Johnson (W&M) def. Kordolaimi/Garvey (Houston) – 9-7
No. 3 – Fraser/Kazimieruk (Houston) def. Smith/Nemchinov (W&M) – 8-4
