Streaks can seem endless when they’re rolling, but like everything else they must end eventually.
On Saturday, Georgetown (9-4) ended William and Mary’s recent seven-game tear in a thriller that came down to the final doubles point. But after its blip in Georgetown, the College returned to its winning ways at Maryland to round out the weekend road trip and continue its stellar start to the season — its most successful since 2007.
In Georgetown, the College’s top players put their team in a great position to capture the win, but the backup players did not hold up their end of the bargain. Due to the threat of rain, the contest began with six singles games in which the Tribe (12-3, 1-0 CAA) matched the Hoyas 3-3, obtaining wins at the top three positions. However, Georgetown pulled out the final doubles point to capture the match.
At the No. 1 singles position for the Tribe, Junior Maria Belaya won her seventh straight match, defeating Georgetown’s Victoria Sekely, 6-4, 6-1. Belaya’s decisive victory improved her season record to 16-8, including eight wins at the No. 1 spot. Freshman Leeza Nemchinov, playing at the No. 2 spot, closed out Kelly Comlli, 6-2, 7-6 (4). Senior Anik Cepeda thoroughly defeated the Hoyas’ Madeline Jaegr, 6-1, 6-2, winning her 20th match of the young season.
Regardless of the Tribe’s victories at the top three positions for singles, its inability to take the decisive double slots led to its eventual demise. The Hoyas snagged doubles victories in the No. 1 and No. 3 slots as well as the Nos. 4-6 positions in singles.
The next day the Tribe earned some retribution for its loss by defeating Maryland (5-7, 0-3 ACC) 4-3 in another closely contested match. Whereas the Tribe relinquished the doubles point against the Hoyas, it won doubles in two straight matches against Maryland before even having to finish the third.
For doubles, the Tribe took the top two positions decisively. Juniors Belaya and Jeltje Loomans, the No. 5-ranked team in the country, took their 10th straight win at the top spot for doubles, beating Vroni Van Berlo and Sarah Gealer 8-3. Cepeda and junior Hope Johnson defeated Nataliya and Olga Bredikhina before Cepeda went on to play in her singles match.
Both Nemchinov and Cepeda continued their strong singles play from Saturday against the Terrapins. Nemchinov increased her win streak to nine matches, making her record 19-9 for the season by defeating Gaeler 7-5, 7-6.
Cepeda also increased her win streak to eight matches, defeating Olga Gaistruk 6-0, 6-2. Cepeda has a team-best singles mark of 21-11. Johnson clenched the game by winning a tense three-set match 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
After splitting the weekend, the College has only two more matches on its non-conference slate before it continues its CAA schedule.
The Tribe will have a pair of matches in Houston, Texas March 23-24 against Rice and Houston.