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Virginia Commonwealth University

#LetsGoVCU
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2
Richmond RICH (11-11)
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Winner VCU VCU (13-10)
Richmond RICH
(11-11)
2
Final
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VCU VCU
(13-10)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

VCU DEFEATS RICHMOND 4-2, ADVANCES TO A-10 FINAL

Final: VCU 4, Richmond 2
Location: Orlando, Fla. (USTA National Campus)
Records: VCU 13-10, Richmond 11-11

The Short Story: VCU women's tennis battled past Richmond 4-2, in a hard-fought Atlantic 10 semifinal, using a strong doubles start and three gritty singles victories to punch its ticket to the championship match.

Opening Serve
  • Today's showdown marked the 22nd meeting in the crosstown rivalry between VCU and Richmond, and with the win, the Rams now own 20 wins in the series. After a 4-2 victory over the Spiders in last year's Atlantic 10 Championship and a 4-1 win earlier this season, VCU added another result to a rivalry that has remained firmly in its control.
  • Both teams came in with nearly identical marks, VCU at 12-10 and Richmond at 11-10. The Rams grabbed the doubles point early, but Richmond countered by taking five of the six opening sets in singles to seize control. From there, it remained a back-and-forth battle, with the outcome hanging in the balance deep into the third sets. But in the end, VCU raised its level to one Richmond couldn't match, booking a trip back to the A-10 title match.
Doubles
  • The Rams delivered two strong performances on Courts 1 and 2 to secure the doubles point. On Court 1, Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando and Mariam Ibrahim jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held their advantage down the stretch to close out a 6-4 win. On Court 2, Andrea Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne fought through an early deficit, turning a 1-2 start into a 4-3 lead before finishing off a 6-4 victory to clinch the point and give the Rams a 1-0 edge heading into singles.
Singles
  • Richmond made the first move in singles, taking Courts 6 and 5 in straight sets to grab a 2-1 lead and apply pressure on the Rams, while also claiming five of the six first sets across the lineup.
  • On Court 1, with the pressure on the Rams, the two No. 1s split the first two sets evenly. Sofia Jane Thorne responded after dropping the opening set 1-6 by taking the second by the same score. In the third, with the score tied at 4-4 and the Rams at risk of falling behind 3-1 in the overall match, Thorne rose to the occasion, taking the final two games to secure a 6-4 win and even the score.
  • On Court 2, Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando looked in trouble early, falling behind 0-4 and dropping the first set 2-6. She steadied in the second, working her way into it before edging a tight tiebreak, 7-6(4), to keep the match alive. From there, she carried that momentum into the final set, gradually building separation and closing it out 6-3 to give the Rams a crucial point.
  • On Court 3, the court that ultimately decided the match, Mariam Ibrahim found herself in a position she has found herself in often this season. The match on the line with the opportunity to clinch, and she delivered yet again. Ibrahim led in the opening set at 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 before it slipped away, 4-6, but she responded with a steady 6-3 second set to force a third. In the decider, she fell behind early, with the score progressing 1-3 and 2-3 before she fought back to level it at 3-3. After falling behind again at 3-4, Ibrahim again answered with back-to-back games to move in front 5-4. The match evened once again at 5-5, but this time Ibrahim took her chances, securing the final two games to send VCU back to the Atlantic 10 Championship match.
  • On Court 4, Andrea Magallanes worked her way back into the opening set after being down 0-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5, eventually forcing a tiebreak and taking it 7-6(4). Richmond answered with a 6-3 second set, and the third remained level at 2-2 with the match still in the balance. Magallanes continued to apply pressure, building a 5-2 lead and reaching 40-15 on serve in the third before Ibrahim secured the clinching point on Court 3.
Singles Results
  1. Sofia Jane Thorne (VCU) def. Sofia Barbulescu (RICH) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
  2. Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando (VCU) def. Lara Bakhaya (RICH) 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3
  3. Mariam Ibrahim (VCU) def. Elizabeth Novak (RICH) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
  4. Andrea Magallanes (VCU) vs. Abby Lee (RICH) 7-6(4), 3-6, 5-2 (Unfinished)
  5. Lucy Webber (RICH) def. Elicia Kim (VCU) 6-4, 6-4
  6. Lainey O'Neil (RICH) def. Sara Alba (VCU) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles Results
  1. Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando / Mariam Ibrahim (VCU) def. Lara Bakhaya / Sofia Barbulescu (RICH) 6-4
  2. Andrea Magallanes / Sofia Jane Thorne (VCU) def. Elizabeth Novak / Lucy Webber (RICH) 6-4
  3. Beatriz Guerra / Abby Lee (RICH) def. Sara Alba / Viktoria Lackova (VCU) 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles: 3, 2, 1 Singles: 6, 5, 1, 2, 3 

Up Next: VCU will face Fordham in the Atlantic 10 Final first serve set for 5:30 p.m.
 
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