Tigers Avenge Early-Season Loss with 4-3 Win over Virginia Tech

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson women’s tennis team avenged an early-season loss to Virginia Tech, defeating the Hokies 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at the Clemson Indoor Tennis Center. The two teams previously met at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend on Jan. 28 in Nashville, Tenn., a 4-2 Virginia Tech win. With today’s win, the Tigers improve to 5-7 (2-3 ACC), while the Hokies drop to 7-5 (0-3 ACC).

Sophomore Fernanda Navarro and junior Daniela Ruiz opened up doubles play with a 6-0 victory at No. 3. It was the fourth-straight doubles win for the duo. Virginia Tech picked up a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, leaving the result of the doubles point down to Court 2. Freshmen Constanza Gorches and Sydney Riley, playing together for just the second time this season, picked up the 6-3 win to secure the point for the Tigers.

The Hokies evened the team score at 1-1 with a victory at No. 2 singles, before sophomore Marie-Alexandre Leduc won a great match at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Riley followed that with an exciting three-set win of her own at No. 4, coming from behind to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4). Virginia Tech claimed a win at No. 1 singles, before Gorches clinched the team win with a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 5. The win for Gorches was her third in a row. The Hokies won the final singles match, at No. 6 in three sets.

Clemson is on the road for their next match, at Syracuse on Friday, March 17. It will be a 2 p.m. first serve between the Tigers and Orange in Syracuse, N.Y. On Sunday, March 19, the team returns home to host Pittsburgh at 12 p.m.