ACC Women's Tennis Championship Central
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CARY, N.C. -
Ana Belzunce won at No. 2 singles and three other matches went to a third set, but that was not enough for the Maryland women's tennis team which lost to Georgia Tech, 4-1, Thursday in the first round of the ACC Championship.
Belzunce knocked off Caroline Lilley, the 83rd-ranked player in the country, in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) to cut the seventh-seeded and 16th-ranked Yellow Jackets' lead to 3-1, but Lynn Blau downed Maryland's Welma Luus 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 at No. 4 singles to clinch a trip to Friday's quarterfinals against second-seeded North Carolina.
"Our loss today was less a product of the ladies' efforts and abilities and more the result of a group that is tired, injured and not accustomed to the rigors of ACC play," Maryland head coach Howard Joffe said.
Jordaan Sanford, one of five singles players in their first season of action, was forced to retire due to an injury and the 10th-seeded Terps (13-9) lost the doubles point.
Georgia Tech (13-9), which lost to the Terps at home earlier this month, got off to 1-0 lead after Sasha Krupina and Viet Ha Ngo defeated Cristina Stancu and Julia Huschke 8-3 at No. 3 doubles.
Sanford's retirement against Viet Ha Ngo at No. 3 singles after losing the first set 6-0 made the score 2-0 early in singles action.
Maryland's Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar, who was voted to the 2011 All-ACC team, was leading her match in the third set and Stancu trailed by a game in the third set. Neither match was completed.
After one of their best performances in recent years, the Terps, No. 32 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, are hopeful to earn an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.
"The ladies will use this week or two to rest up and heal. And I expect us to firing on all cylinders should we be fortunate enough to make the NCAA Tournament," Joffe said.
At-large berths for the 64-team field will be announced on Tuesday, May 3. The announcement will be made at 5 p.m. EDT on NCAA.com.
The list of individuals selected to the singles and doubles championships will be posted on NCAA.com no later than 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4.
