Oct. 30, 2016
PALMAS DEL MAR, P.R. – The Commodores went 4-3 in singles matches on the final day of the Puerto Rico College Challenge. In the tropical town of Palmas Del Mar, Fernanda Contreras, Emma Kurtz, Christina Rosca and No. 19 Astra Sharma all picked up wins over University of Virginia student-athletes.
“We had an amazing few days down in Palmas Del Mar,” said head coach Geoff Macdonald. “The team earned some quality wins, but we also learned some of the things that we need to work on before the spring, like handling deuce points better. Overall, it was just a gorgeous place and culture for the team to bond and cap off their fall.”
The Commodores began the day with doubles matches against Georgia, falling on two courts. The Dawg’s Shaffer/Brinson downed Sharma/Kurtz 6-1, with Emily Smith and Georgina Sellyn suffering a similar fate at the hands of Gould/Patterson, 6-1.
Singles play was as intense as the previous two days with close points on nearly every court and two matches going to 10-point tiebreakers.
Contreras defeated UVA’s Rosie Johanson, who is ranked eighth in the ITA’s newcomer poll. The sophomore fell in a tough 7-5 first set contest only to come back to take the second 6-2 and the third-set, 10-point tiebreaker, 1-0(7).
In the blazing Puerto Rican sun, freshman Emma Kurtz took on the Cavalier’s Teodora Radosavljevic, a transfer from George Washington, defeating the two-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference honoree in a thrilling, 7-6, 1-6, 1-0(8) victory.
In an all-freshman battle, Vandy’s Christina Rocsa defeated Chloe Gullickson, who came to UVA ranked as high as No. 21 in juniors. The Commodore took a commanding 6-1 first set lead, and pulled off the victory taking the second, 7-5.
Sharma also picked up a nice win over Cassie Mercer, 6-4, 6-2. While her teammates are done competing in fall tournaments, the redshirt junior will conclude her fall in New York this week, competing in the ITA’s National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.
