Rutgers Falls to Virginia Tech In BIG EAST Quarterfinals
Apr 25 | Women's Tennis
CORAL GABLES, FL – The fifth-seeded Rutgers women’s tennis team lost to fourth-seeded Virginia Tech, 4-1, in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championships Friday morning at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. The loss drops RU to 13-7 overall for the season and 9-3 in BIG EAST competition. The Scarlet Knights, who have been eliminated from title contention, will return to the courts on Saturday, April 26, to face sixth-seeded Syracuse in consolation action at 3 p.m.
Virginia Tech opened up the team scoring, capturing the doubles point with two victories in three doubles matches. Rutgers’ lone win in doubles competition came at the No. 2 position, when senior co-captain Jennifer Hellier (Annapolis, MD) and freshman Ketevan Shmakova (Dover, NJ) beat VTech’s Kristin Stubbs and Ginger Lowdermilk, 8-6. Senior co-captain Carissa Sommerlad (Bradley Beach, NJ) and sophomore Andrea Weckstein (Holmdel, NJ) fell to Carolyn Kramer and Elissa Kinard, 8-3, at No. 1 doubles. The No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Alina Balasa (East Brunswick, NJ) and Jill Markowitz (Forest Hills, NY) lost to Felice Lam and Zdenka Videnova, 8-6.
Sommerlad earned Rutgers’ only point of the match, defeating Kramer at No. 2 singles, 7-6 (6), 6-0, for her team-leading 14th victory of the season. The Hokies registered wins at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 singles to clinch the match victory. Hellier lost to Kinard, 6-3, 6-1, at the No. 3 position, while Shmakova fell to Videnova, 6-1, 6-2, at the No. 5 spot. Balasa had her ten-match winning streak snapped on Friday, losing to Lam, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 4 singles.
No. 4 Virginia Tech 4, No. 5 Rutgers 1
Singles
No. 1 Kristin Stubbs (VT) vs. Andrea Weckstein (RU), DNF
No. 2 Carissa Sommerlad (RU) def. Carolyn Kramer (VT), 7-6 (6), 6-0
No. 3 Elissa Kinard (VT) def. Jennifer Hellier (RU), 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 Felice Lam (VT) def. Alina Balasa (RU), 7-5, 6-1
No. 5 Zdenka Videnova (VT) def. Ketevan Shmakova (RU), 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 Ginger Lowdermilk (VT) vs. Jill Markowitz (RU), DNF
Doubles
No. 1 Carolyn Kramer/Elissa Kinard (VT) def. Carissa Sommerlad/Andrea Weckstein
(RU), 8-3
No. 2 Jennifer Hellier/Ketevan Shmakova (RU) def. Kristin Stubbs/Ginger Lowdermilk
(VT), 8-6
No. 3 Felice Lam/Zdenka Videnova (VT) def. Alina Balasa/Jill Markowitz (RU),
8-6
