Munteanu’s Comeback Fuels JMU to Thrilling 4-3 Win at Coastal

Saturday, April 19

Conway, S.C.

10 a.m.

James Madison University

Coastal Carolina

Munteanu’s Comeback Fuels JMU to Thrilling 4-3 Win at Coastal

4/19/2025 3:01:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. – James Madison women's tennis found itself in a 3-2 hole, but a three-set win by Sophie Williams and a wild comeback by Daria Munteanu sent the Dukes past Coastal Carolina, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at the Stevens Tennis Complex.

Trailing 3-2, Williams was knotted at 4-4 in the final set with Nicole Abel on court four before rattling off consecutive games for a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory.

Coastal Carolina (10-10, 4-6 Sun Belt) had three match points in the second-set tiebreak on court two, but Munteanu staved off Aida Mitrache's attempts to close the match, reeling off a 5-0 run to win the breaker 8-6.

In the third frame, the two were tied at 4-4, but Munteanu dug deep to break Mitrache and later serve out the match, winning by scores of 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6), 6-4.

With the win, JMU (9-12, 7-4 Sun Belt) clinched a first-round bye and finished tied in fifth place with Marshall. The seedings for the Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Championship will be announced later on Saturday.

After dropping two of three doubles bouts and the first singles match to fall behind 2-0, JMU won four of the final five singles matches, which included all three that went to third sets.

Aside from Munteanu and Williams, JMU got singles victories from Corinna Rietmann and Mia Saveljic. Rietmann cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Sarah Clark on court six, while Saveljic rallied from a set down, winning 12 straight games en route to a 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 victory against Katya Hersh.

Coastal produced straight-set singles wins on courts three and one, as Brunelle Kouam beat Ines Oliveira, 6-4, 6-0, while Anna Babayan downed Elena Kraleva, 6-3, 7-5. The latter match put the host Chanticleers up 3-2 before Williams and Munteanu put the finishing touches on the day.

JMU 4, Coastal Carolina 3
Doubles Results
Court One: Daria Munteanu/Ines Oliveira (JMU) def. Nicole Abel/Anna Babayan (CCU), 6-4
Court Two: Sarah Clark/Katya Hersh (CCU) def. Elena Kraleva/Mia Saveljic (JMU), 6-3
Court Three: Aida Mitrache/Brunelle Kouam (CCU) def. Hope Moulin/Sophie Williams (JMU), 6-2

Singles Results
Court One: Anna Babayan (CCU) def. Elena Kraleva (JMU). 6-3, 7-5
Court Two: Daria Munteanu (JMU) vs. Aida Mitrache (CCU)
Court Three: Brunelle Kouam (CCU) def. Ines Oliveira (JMU), 6-4, 6-0
Court Four: Sophie Williams (JMU) def. Nicole Abel (CCU), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Court Five: Mia Saveljic (JMU) def. Katya Hersh (CCU), 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
Court Six: Corinna Rietmann (JMU) def. Sarah Clark (CCU), 6-3, 6-3

Order of Results: Doubles (3, 1, 2*), Singles (3, 6, 5, 1, 4, 2*)