Sophomore Hannah King and Senior Silvia Garcia led the way as the No. 4 Georgia women’s tennis team defeated the 10th ranked Virginia Cavaliers 4-2 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Thursday afternoon.  The Bulldogs improve to 11-1 on the season, while the Cavaliers fall to 9-5.
 
 
“Anytime top ten teams get together at this point in the season, you have to expect a great match and close battle,” Georgia coach Jeff Wallace said. “Our singles play today was outstanding on every court and I thought our fight was great. Hannah came in for her first match and lost a bad first set, but really got it together, played some great tennis and won a huge point for us today.  Silvia closed it out after it getting really close in the third set where the point could have gone either way.  She played aggressive, played to win, and did what we want our players to do in those situations. We knew it was going to be an epic battle and it was everything we thought it was going to be and more.”
 
 
Georgia lost the doubles point for the first time this spring.  The No. 71 duo of Caroline Brinson and Garcia fell to Julia Elbaba and Skylar Morton 6-3 at court two before Kennedy Shaffer and Laura Patterson fell to Stephanie Nauta and Cassie Mercer 6-4 on court three.  The match on court one between the No. 28 duo of Ellen Perez and Mariana Gould and Virginia’s No. 25 duo of Danielle Collins and Meghan Kelley went unfinished.
 
 
In singles play, Brinson finished first and evened the score of the match by taking a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Morton on court three.  Gould remains undefeated and gave Georgia the lead with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Victoria Olivarez on court five.
 
 
King returned to the court for the first time this spring after being sidelined with a shoulder injury and kept the momentum going for Georgia.  She won her match 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 over Virginia’s Kelley on court six.
 
 
Virginia took the next point on court two, making the match score 3-2.  Garcia clinched the match on court four in a tight 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory over UVA’s Nauta.
 
 
The Bulldogs return to the action and conference play on Saturday as they host No. 54 Tennessee at the Dan Magill Tennis Compex at 12 p.m.
 
 

MATCH RESULTS:

No. 4 Georgia defeats No. 10 Virginia (4-2)

 
 
Doubles
 

1.  #28 Perez/Gould (UGA) vs. #25 Collins/Kelley (UVA), unfinished
2. Elbaba/Morton(UVA) def. #71 Garcia/Brinson (UGA), 6-3
3. Nauta/Mercer (UVA) def. Shaffer/Patterson (UGA), 6-4

 
 
Singles
 

1.  #10 Ellen Perez (UGA) vs. #4 Danielle Collins (UVA), unfinished
2.  #13 Julia Elbaba (UVA) def. #78 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
3.  #22 Carolina Brinson (UGA) def. Skylar Morton (UVA), 6-1, 6-2
4.  #75 Silvia Garcia (UGA) def. Stephanie Nauta (UVA), 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
5. Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Victoria Olivarez (UVA), 7-5, 6-2
6. Hannah King (UGA) def. Meghan Kelley (UVA), 1-6, 6-3, 6-