No. 3 Virginia Takes Out Gators in NCAA Semifinals Tiebreaker
Florida’s Rachel Gailis<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981> and Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> fall to Elaine Chervinsky and Melodie Collard in the NCAA Semifinals.
WACO, Texas- Florida All-Americans Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> and Rachel Gailis<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981> were just shy of the NCAA Championships, falling 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 to No. 3 Melodie Collard and Elaine Chervinsky in the semifinals. The Gators were edged by Virginia on Saturday evening at Baylor University.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
To open semifinals play, Virginia took the first game of the match to hold a 1-0 advantage. That would mark Virginia’s only game of set one as the Gators won the following six. Florida closed out the first set quickly at 6-1.
In the second set, Florida was challenged by Virginia, trailing 2-0 to start. From there the Gators were able to tally three games over Chervinsky and Collard, but were unable to claim a lead. Virginia continued to pull ahead and after being within one game of the Gators at 4-3, they closed out set two 6-3.
With one set a piece, the semifinals matchup went into a 10-point tiebreaker to decide the 2024 NCAA Championship finalist. Florida took an immediate 5-0 advantage in the match tiebreaker to set the tone early. Virginia then took its first point of the tiebreaker at 5-1 and began to slowly close the margin getting the score to 5-4. The semifinals were unexpectedly knotted at 7-7 and 8-8 before Virginia pulled ahead to take the tiebreaker and match at 1-6, 6-3, 10-8.
FLORIDA’S DOUBLES HISTORY AT NCAA’S:
2024-2025 Season
* Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> and Rachel Gailis made it to the semifinals
* Fell to No. 3 Elaine Chervinsky and Melodie Collard (Virginia), 1-6, 6-3, 10-8
2022-2023 Season
* Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> and Bente Spee<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983> (No.21) made it to the round of 16
* Lost in the quarterfinals to Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig (No. 11), 6-1, 6-2
2021-2022 Season
* Carly Briggs<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/carly-briggs/16139> and Marlee Zein (No.23) made it to the round of 32
* Lost first round to Ava Hrastar and Kylie Bilchev (No. 36), 7-6(2), 6-4
2017-2018 Season
* Anna Danilina and Victoria Emma (No. 17) made it to the round of 32
* Lost first round to Vladica Babic and Sofia Blanco (No. 14), 4-6, 6-4, 10-8
2016-2017 Season
* Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan (No. 20) made it to the quarterfinals
* Lost in the quarterfinals to Maya Jansen and Maegan Manasse (No. 34), 7-6 (3)
2015-2016 Season
* Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan won the NCAA Doubles Championships
* Defeated Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr
Semifinal Results:
Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (Virginia) def. Rachel Gailis<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981>/Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> (Florida) 1-6, 6-3, 10-8.
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