Feb. 27, 2000

RICHMOND, Va. -- The 57th-ranked University of Virginia women's tennis team lost its first match of the spring season as 32nd-ranked Virginia Commonwealth defeated UVa 6-3 Sunday afternoon at the Thalhimer Tennis Center in Richmond. With the loss, the Cavaliers fall to 7-2 on the year, while VCU improves to 4-2.

After splitting the six singles matches, the Rams swept the three doubles matches to earn the 6-3 victory.

Virginia received singles victories at the #3, #5 and #6 singles slots. At #3 singles, first-year Henriette Williams (Raleigh, N.C./Broughton) defeated Kate Vasylyeva 7-5, 6-3. Virginia's other first-year player, Jennifer Tuchband (Millburn, N.J./Millburn) posted a 7-6, 7-5 victory over Raluca Ciulei at #5 singles. UVa's other singles victory came from third-year Kelly Weaver (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston), who beat Lyudmila Teterina 6-2, 6-0 in the #6 singles slot.

Second-year Amy O'Donnell (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) lost at #1 singles to 45th-ranked Martina Nedelkova 6-1, 6-2. Third-year Christie Schweer (Houston, Texas/Memorial) fell to 52nd-ranked Andrea Ondrisova 6-2, 6-4 at #2 singles. At #4 singles, third-year Leslie Cook (Boynton Beach, Fla./Lake Worth Christian) lost to Yana Sokolenko 6-4, 6-0.

In doubles play, VCU's Nedelkova and Ondrisova, ranked 22nd in the nation, defeated Schweer and Cook 8-3 at #1. The Cavaliers' O'Donnell and second-year Christine Kim (McLean, Va./Bishop Ireton) lost at #2 doubles 8-5 to Teterina and Sokolenko. Weaver and Tuchband dropped an 8-5 decision to Ciulei and Vasylyeva at #3 doubles.

Virginia returns to action on Saturday, March 4 when it plays Harvard at 11:00 a.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Virginia Commonwealth 6, Virginia 3

Singles
1. No. 45 Martina Nedelkova (VCU) def. Amy O'Donnell (UVa), 6-1, 6-2
2. No. 52 Andrea Ondrisova (VCU) def. Christie Schweer (UVa), 6-2, 6-4
3. Henriette Williams (UVa) def. Kate Vasylyeva (VCU), 7-5, 6-3
4. Yana Sokolenko (VCU) def. Leslie Cook (UVa), 6-4, 6-0
5. Jennifer Tuchband (UVa) def. Raluca Ciulei (VCU), 7-6, 7-5
6. Kelly Weaver (UVa) def. Lyudmila Teterina (VCU), 6-2, 6-0

Doubles
1. No. 22 Nedelkova and Ondrisova (VCU) def. Cook and Schweer (UVa), 8-3
2. Teterina and Sokolenko (VCU) def. O'Donnell and Kim (UVa), 8-5
3. Ciulei and Vasylyeva (VCU) def. Weaver and Tuchband (UVa), 8-4