BLACKSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's tennis team advanced a pair of
singles players and two doubles on the second day of the ITA Atlantic Region
Championships. Junior Maria Belaya and freshman Leeza Nemchinov both move into the second round of the main singles draw, while two Tribe doubles teams
will compete in the Round of 16 on Sunday.
In doubles action, the Tribe junior duo of Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans, which is seeded No. 3 at the regional event, cruised to an 8-2 triumph over the Morgan State team of Arina Alilueva and Margarita Belyakova. With the victory, the No. 12-ranked team in the country improved to a perfect 4-0 on the year and advanced to the Round of 16 on Sunday. Belaya and Loomans will face the Marshall team of Karlyn Timko and Dana Oppinger at 8 a.m.
Senior Anik Cepeda and Nemchinov rolled into the round of 16 with an 8-2 triumph over the Richmond team of Melissa Kandinata and Katya Salas. The Tribe pair improved to 3-1 on the year and will face the No. 5 seeded Virginia duo of Caryssa Peretz and Maria Fuccillo at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
In the main singles flight, Belaya and Nemchinov both tallied straight set wins in the first round. Belaya, who is the No. 5 seed in the singles draw, improved to 5-3 on the year with a 6-2, 6-0 win over UMBC's Shannon Cleary. Nemchinov downed Maryland's Sarah Gealer, 6-4, 6-2, to even her season ledger at 4-4.
Both the second round and round of 16 will be competed on Sunday. Belaya will meet Penn State's Katherine Whiteaway in the second round at 12:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the third round match at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Nemchinov will meet Virginia's Maci Epstein, who is seeded No. 8 in the singles flight, at 11 a.m. in the second round, and the winner will take part in the round of 16 at 2 p.m.
Virginia Tech is the host of the ITA Atlantic Region Championship, which runs through Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Burrows-Burelson Tennis Center. The singles and doubles winners of the ITA Atlantic Regional will earn a spot in the exclusion USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., Nov. 8-11. The National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship is the second fall national championship event in college tennis and includes a 32-player singles draw and 20-team doubles bracket for both men and women.
W&M Results from the ITA Atlantic Region Championships
Main Doubles Draw Second Round (32)
#3 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) [12] def. Alilueva/Belyakova (Morgan State) - 8-2
#9-16 Cepeda/Nemchinov (W&M) def. Kandinata/Salas (Richmond) - 8-2
#9-16 Kurcin/Ball (Marshall) def. Vulovich/Smith (W&M) - 8-4
Main Singles Draw First Round (64)
Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) def. Sarah Gealer (Maryland) - 6-4, 6-2
Kelly Comolli (Georgetown) def. Anik Cepeda (W&M) 6-1, 1-6, 6-1
#5 Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Shannon Cleary (UMBC) - 6-2, 6-0
In doubles action, the Tribe junior duo of Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans, which is seeded No. 3 at the regional event, cruised to an 8-2 triumph over the Morgan State team of Arina Alilueva and Margarita Belyakova. With the victory, the No. 12-ranked team in the country improved to a perfect 4-0 on the year and advanced to the Round of 16 on Sunday. Belaya and Loomans will face the Marshall team of Karlyn Timko and Dana Oppinger at 8 a.m.
Senior Anik Cepeda and Nemchinov rolled into the round of 16 with an 8-2 triumph over the Richmond team of Melissa Kandinata and Katya Salas. The Tribe pair improved to 3-1 on the year and will face the No. 5 seeded Virginia duo of Caryssa Peretz and Maria Fuccillo at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
In the main singles flight, Belaya and Nemchinov both tallied straight set wins in the first round. Belaya, who is the No. 5 seed in the singles draw, improved to 5-3 on the year with a 6-2, 6-0 win over UMBC's Shannon Cleary. Nemchinov downed Maryland's Sarah Gealer, 6-4, 6-2, to even her season ledger at 4-4.
Both the second round and round of 16 will be competed on Sunday. Belaya will meet Penn State's Katherine Whiteaway in the second round at 12:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the third round match at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Nemchinov will meet Virginia's Maci Epstein, who is seeded No. 8 in the singles flight, at 11 a.m. in the second round, and the winner will take part in the round of 16 at 2 p.m.
Virginia Tech is the host of the ITA Atlantic Region Championship, which runs through Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Burrows-Burelson Tennis Center. The singles and doubles winners of the ITA Atlantic Regional will earn a spot in the exclusion USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., Nov. 8-11. The National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship is the second fall national championship event in college tennis and includes a 32-player singles draw and 20-team doubles bracket for both men and women.
W&M Results from the ITA Atlantic Region Championships
Main Doubles Draw Second Round (32)
#3 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) [12] def. Alilueva/Belyakova (Morgan State) - 8-2
#9-16 Cepeda/Nemchinov (W&M) def. Kandinata/Salas (Richmond) - 8-2
#9-16 Kurcin/Ball (Marshall) def. Vulovich/Smith (W&M) - 8-4
Main Singles Draw First Round (64)
Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) def. Sarah Gealer (Maryland) - 6-4, 6-2
Kelly Comolli (Georgetown) def. Anik Cepeda (W&M) 6-1, 1-6, 6-1
#5 Maria Belaya (W&M) def. Shannon Cleary (UMBC) - 6-2, 6-0
