JMU Closes Season at #34 ODU

Saturday, April 16

Norfolk, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

Old Dominion

4/16/2022 7:41:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – James Madison women's tennis closed out its toughest season schedule in program history on Saturday evening with a tough 4-0 setback at #34 Old Dominion at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.

The Monarchs improved to 17-6, while the Dukes ended their 2022 campaign at 9-11. Six of JMU's 11 defeats came at the hands of top-75 ranked opponents. The Dukes also won two of three matches against future Sun Belt Conference opponents, besting Coastal Carolina and Marshall while dropping Saturday's match to ODU.

ODU claimed the early 1-0 lead after taking two of three doubles matches, including a tight one on court three.

JMU gained the early advantage with a dominant performance on court two, as Daria Afanasyeva and Hope Moulin took down Shahar Biran and Alesya Yakubovich, 6-2.

The nation's seventh-ranked tandem of Tatsiana Sasnouskaya and Yuliia Starodubtseva reeled off four straight games to rally past Michelle Los Arcos and Natalia Nikolopoulou, 6-3, on court one to even things up.

In the decisive doubles bout that went back-and-forth, despite breaking Sofia Johnson and Alexandra Viktorovitch to square the match at 5-5, the ODU duo won the next two games to fend off Kylie Moulin and Amanda Nord, 7-5.

In singles play, a pair of Dukes either held a set lead or were tied when their matches were halted due to ODU winning three singles matches.

On court three, Afanasyeva won the opening set against Marina Alcaide and held a 6-4, 2-3 advantage when the match was abandoned.

After falling behind a set on court two, Kylie Moulin stormed back in the second against Sasnouskaya, not conceding a single game to force a third set. All knotted at a game apiece in a decisive set, Moulin's match went unfinished at 3-6, 6-0, 1-1.

The Monarchs registered wins on courts four through six to capture the team win.

Johnson claimed a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Hope Moulin on court four to double the host's lead. ODU made it 3-0 with a win on court five, as Yakubovich took a 6-2, 6-2 decision from Nord.

The Monarchs closed out the match on court six, with Biran clinching against Lynelle Lim, 6-0, 6-3.

QUOTING COACH SHELLEY JAUDON
"I'm really proud of this team and the resiliency they showed all season. We really put ourselves out there by playing the toughest schedule in program history, and I wouldn't trade the way things have played out for anything. We have been challenged and grown in ways as a program that are invaluable to the future success of JMU women's tennis. We couldn't be more excited to close this chapter and turn our attention to a great transition into the Sun Belt Conference."