Avidan’s Thrilling Comeback Highlights JMU’s 2

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison completed an unbeaten women's tennis weekend Sunday with a thrilling 4-3 victory against VCU, followed by a convincing 6-1 triumph over Towson at Hillside Courts.

With the pair of wins, the Dukes (6-6) evened their record this spring and remained unbeaten at home, at 4-0.

JMU has now defeated VCU (6-5) in consecutive seasons, marking the first time since 1990 and 1991 that JMU has captured wins over the Rams in back-to-back years. Its win over Towson (4-5) kept JMU unbeaten all-time against the Tigers, improving to 22-0.

JMU went 4-1 in doubles play, clinching the doubles point in each win, while claiming eight of 12 singles courts. Leading the way were Brooklyn Hoffmann and Ariel Avidan, who each went 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles. Hoffmann clinched the decisive point in the Towson win while Avidan stormed back from a large deficit to clinch the 4-3 win against VCU.

JMU 4, VCU 3

JMU opened the doubleheader with a wild 4-3 victory, which saw VCU rally from a 3-1 deficit before Avidan rallied back to stun Mariam Ibrahim, securing the win.

Avidan lost the opening set and trailed 5-2 in the second before mounting her comeback. She tied the second set at 5-5 and later forced a tiebreak, at 6-6. She won the breaker, 7-4, to force a third set. In the final frame and with the set tied at 3-3, Avidan won a crucial deuce point to take the lead and earned another break to close out her 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.

JMU also got straight-set singles wins from Hoffmann, who downed Isabel Andrade on court two, at 6-2, 6-3, and Anna Kantor, who earned a 7-6 (2), 6-2 triumph on court five against Andrea Magallanes.

The Dukes claimed what would be a needed doubles point earlier in the morning, as Daria Munteanu and Avidan took a 6-2 decision from Sara Alba and Viktoria Lackova on court three before Hoffmann and Sophie Williams upended Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne, 6-3, on court one.

VCU posted their three singles wins on courts one by Thorne (6-2, 6-4), court three by Lackova (2-6, 6-1, 6-2) and Alba on court six (6-1, 7-6 (4)).

JMU 6, Towson 1

JMU cruised through doubles play and won five singles bouts in straight sets to down Towson 6-1 in the second match of the doubleheader.

In doubles play, Hoffmann and Williams blanked Chandre Boshoff and Kiersten Tambe, 6-0, on court one before the Dukes clinched the doubles point moments later via a 6-1 triumph by Munteanu and Avidan on court two over Aubrey Carper and Tamzin Pountney.

In singles play, JMU seized control early on almost every court. Reka Matko earned a dominant win in her lone singles match of the day, as she downed Sofia Anderson, 6-1, 6-0, on court six. JMU stretched its lead to 3-0 on court four, as Avidan completed her unbeaten weekend with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Ashira Murray.

Hoffmann clinched the win for JMU on court two with her 6-3, 6-1 win versus Gaia Montecchi, and the Dukes also produced wins on courts one and five to round out the 6-1 home win. Munteanu held off Tambe by scores of 6-3, 6-4, while Corinna Rietmann finished the day on court five with a 6-2, 6-3 victory versus Chloe Courtnage.

Towson posted a court-three win by Pountney (6-3, 6-2) for their lone point.

Up Next

JMU opens a seven-match road trip next weekend when it travels to Williamsburg, Va., to take on host William & Mary on Friday, March 6, followed by a neutral-site match with Drexel on Saturday, March 7.

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