RICHMOND, VA. -- Furman blanked VCU, 7-0, Saturday at the Thalhimer Tennis Center in Richmond, Va.
The Paladins won two out of three doubles matches to claim the opening point. Senior Katarina Kozarov and junior Julia Adams, ranked 27th nationally, blanked Alessia Ciuca and Luminita Tutunaru, 6-0, at flight one, then the Rams' Gabriela Davidescu teamed with Kanako Yano to beat freshman Ellie Schoppe and sophomore Maggie Pate, 6-2, at flight three. In the decisive flight two contest, junior Madison Dillon and senior MaryAnn Rompf topped Paola Diaz Delgado and Noumea Witmus, 6-3.
Furman swept the singles matches, winning five of the six contests in straight sets. Fifteenth-ranked Kozarov held off Diaz Delgado, who ranks 116th nationally, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4, at number one, and Adams blew past Ciuca, 6-1, 6-0, at flight two. At flight three, Dillon slipped past Tutunaru, 6-4, 7-5, and Rompf defeated Davidescu, 6-4, 6-3, at number four. Pate topped Yano, 6-4, 6-1, at number five, and Schoppe downed Witmus, 6-4, 6-0, at flight six for the sweep.
"I am really proud of how our team handled adversity and competed today," said Furman head coach Adam Herendeen. "We still have a lot of areas to improve upon, but it is evident how much each of our girls is improving and how much the tough early season matches have helped our team."
Furman (1-3) will square off at tenth-ranked Duke Sunday at 11 a.m. VCU, the defending Atlantic 10 champion, drops to 1-2 with the loss.
Furman 7, VCU Women's Tennis 0
Singles competition
1. #15 Katarina Kozarov (FUR) def. #116 Paolo Diaz Delgado (VCU) 6-2, 0-6, 6-4
2. Julia Adams (FUR) def. Alessia Ciuca (VCU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Madison Dillon (FUR) def. Luminita Tutunaru (VCU) 6-4, 7-5
4. MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Gabriela Davidescu (VCU) 6-4, 6-3
5. Maggie Pate (FUR) def. Kanako Yano (VCU) 6-4, 6-1
6. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Noumea Witmus (VCU) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #27 Katarina Kozarov/Julia Adams (FUR) def. Alessia Ciuca/Luminita Tutunaru (VCU) 6-0
2. Madison Dillon/MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Paolo Diaz Delgado/Noumea Witmus (VCU) 6-3
3. Gabriela Davidescu/Kanako Yano (VCU) def. Ellie Schoppe/Maggie Pate (FUR) 6-2
Match Notes: Furman 1-3 • VCU 1-2
