Three Reach Flight Finals, JMU Completes Play at Elon Fall Invitational

Friday, September 16

Elon, N.C.

James Madison University

Elon Fall Invitational

Three Reach Flight Finals, JMU Completes Play at Elon Fall Invitational

9/18/2022 3:23:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

ELON, N.C. – Three James Madison women's tennis players reached singles flight finals in their first event of the year, as the Dukes wrapped up play at the Elon Fall Invitational (Sept. 16-18) at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.

The trio of senior Daniela Voloh, freshman Reka Matko and freshman Hayley Glen each qualified for the title match in their respective flights, while six of nine competing Dukes won a pair of singles matches on the weekend.

In doubles, a pair of tandems won third-place matches in Voloh and sophomore Ines Oliveira, as well as Matko and senior Daria Afanasyeva.

The Dukes won a combined 20 matches during the three-day event, with 15 singles wins and five doubles triumphs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Singles Flights
Voloh advanced to the Gold Flight finals after conceding just two games, as she dispatched UNCG's Arina Babkova, 6-0, 6-1, and Norfolk State's Aleksandra Evdokimova, 6-1, 6-0. In the title match, she took the early lead before Charlotte's Kaavya Sawhney came back for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Matko also won a pair of straight-set matches in the Owens Flight, taking down UNCG's Juliana Craft, 6-2, 6-1, and ETSU's Yunuen Elizarraras, 6-1, 6-3. Like Voloh, Matko gained a set lead in her title bout before Elon's Miray Konar rallied for a 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

Glen created early success in the Acorn Flight, cruising past UNCG's Ella Olexa, 6-3, 6-2, and UNC Asheville's Kendall Byers, 6-3, 6-3. She fell short in the final to North Carolina A&T's Isabella Romanichen, 6-1, 6-0.

Other Dukes claiming a pair singles victories in consolation matches included Oliveira in the Powell Flight, sophomore Lynelle Lim in the Colonial Flight and sophomore Alexandra Prudente in the Alamance Flight.

Doubles Flights
JMU took third place in both the Maroon Flight and Gold Flight to begin the weekend.

Voloh and Oliveira earned wins over UNCG's Olivia Gallagher and Hanna Giddings, 8-2, and ETSU's Fernanda Carvajal and Mariya Shumeika, 8-6.

The team of Afanasyeva and Matko produced triumphs against UNCG's Craft and Luna Urso, 8-4, and Norfolk State's Evdokimova and Amber Fuller, 8-3.

JMU's other doubles win came in the Powell Flight, as sophomore Hope Moulin and Prudente won a consolation match, besting UNCG's Babkova and Raegan Mitchell, 8-5.

QUOTING ASSISTANT COACH NOAH TIPPEN
"This was a great first weekend of competition for our girls. We improved in a lot of areas, and it was great for our newcomers to experience their first fall tournament at JMU. We had a good level of competitiveness, and I think this weekend will serve as a good start for what we want to achieve the rest of this fall."

UP NEXT
JMU will take next weekend off before resuming fall tournament play with a pair of events to begin the month of October. The Dukes will compete as split squads, with four traveling to College Park, Md., for the Bedford Cup (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) while six trek south to Lynchburg for the Liberty Hidden Dual (Oct. 1-2).