LEXINGTON, Va. – Playing their first match in more than a week, the Longwood women's tennis squad returned to the court in dominant fashion Sunday by dispatching Division III powerhouse Washington and Lee 7-2 at the Duchossois Tennis Center.
With wins at singles Nos. 1-5, Longwood pulled off a near-sweep that snapped a three-match win streak for the Generals (3-3), who entered the week ranked No. 24 in the ITA Division III rankings.
The win came after a 10-day break for the Lancers (6-2), who continued the program's best start of the 15-year Division I era with their sixth win in eight spring matches.
"It was a tough match, especially because we were out of play for some time," said Longwood head coach
Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez. "I think we still have to work on the emotional component of the game and learn to embrace and enjoy the struggle of competing. I'm happy about the win and having some players be able to come back from some tough moments. I'm excited about that, and we'll get back into the grind next week and work on those components."
Longwood's junior duo of
Marija Venta and
Jamie Breunig led that most recent charge by pulling out three-set wins at the top of the singles lineup, and sophomore
Yulia Almiron and freshmen
Emma Nurgazieva and
Anika Tylek followed suit through the rest of the lineup.
The three-set win for Venta came in her second straight bout at the top of Longwood's singles lineup and saw her dispatch Washington & Lee's Valerie Marshall 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Meanwhile, Breunig toppled Georgia Wright 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 at No. 2 for her third consecutive singles victory.
Almiron and Nurgazieva both won in straight sets at Nos. 3-4, with ALmiron making quick work of Lily Horsley 6-2, 6-3, and Nurgazieva pulling away from Melinda Kauffman 6-2, 6-0. Nurgazieva's win continued the red-hot collegiate start for the former Big South Freshman of the Week, improving her singles record to 8-0. Meanwhile, Almiron won her team-leading 10th singles bout of the season.
Nurgazieva's fellow freshman Tylek mounted a comeback at No. 5, overcoming a 7-6 loss in the first set to take down Mary Hampton McNeal 6-2, 6-2 in sets two and three for a three-set victory.
Venta and Nurgazieva also teamed up to give Longwood a doubles point with an 8-4 win at No. 2, while Tylek and redshirt freshman
Crystal Nzewi added an 8-6 doubles win of their own at No. 3.
Now winner of three of their past four matches, the Lancers will continue their season-opening road gauntlet with three more road matches at Norfolk State (March 14), Winthrop (March 17) and Radford (March 20). Those three bouts will precede the home opener at the Lancer Courts on March 22 when Campbell comes to town.
"Next week will get a little bumpy with all the matches we'll be playing, but I think being physically prepared, that's something we've focused a lot on," Medina Alvarez said. "A lot of matches can be won by being physically ready and having an edge there. For us, that's given us a lot of benefit so far."
Longwood 7, Washington & Lee 2
March 10, 2019
Lexington, Va. (Duchossois Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. VENTA, Marija (LWU) def. MARSHALL, Valerie (W&L) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
2. BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) def. WRIGHT, Georgia (W&L) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
3. ALMIRON, Yulia (LWU) def. HORSLEY, Lily (W&L) 6-2, 6-3
4. NURGAZIEVA, Emma (LWU) def. KAUFFMAN, Melinda (W&L) 6-2, 6-0
5. TYLEK, Anika (LWU) def. McNEAL, Mary Hampton (W&L) 6-7 (0-7), 6-2, 6-2
6. MOORE, Gabby (W&L) def. NZEWI, Crystal (LWU) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. GARCIA, Taylor/WRIGHT, Georgia (W&L) def. ALMIRON, Yulia/BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) 8-4
2. VENTA, Marija/NURGAZIEVA, Emma (LWU) def. MARSHALL, Valerie/HORSLEY, Lily (W&L) 8-4
3. NZEWI, Crystal/TYLEK, Anika (LWU) def. KREYNIN, Anna/McNEAL, Mary Hampton (W&L) 8-6
Match Notes
Longwood 6-2
Washington & Lee 3-3
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