Box Score

LAKE NONA, Fla. - Rhode Island could not match Richmond's strength in singles play, falling to the third-seeded Spiders 4-1 in the Atlantic 10 Championship quarterfinals Thursday night.

No. 6 Rhode Island (12-11) opened the match by winning the doubles point. All three doubles matches were tightly-contested. Richmond (11-10) took No. 1 doubles 7-5.

Moments later, the Spiders had match point at No. 2 doubles, where Lucy Webber and Elizabeth Novack were up 5-4 and serving at 40-40 for the match, and the doubles point. However, Grace Darcy and Anastasia Pettersson got the next point to square the match at 5-5 and keep their match alive.

At No. 3 doubles, Sophie Herrman and Ava Grnja won a long rally to move ahead of Beatrix Guerra and Abby Lee 5-3. The Spiders won the next game to close the gap to 5-4, but Grnja put the match away with a volley at the net to finish the match 6-4 and pull Rhody even.

Back to the No. 2 doubles match, Darcy and Pettersson led 6-5 and had a potential match point at 40-40, but Richmond got the point and forced a tiebreaker. After the teams traded the first two points, Darcy and Pettersson took over, winning six of the last seven rallies. An overhead smash by Darcy made the score 5-2, and back-to-back points at the net by Pettersson clinched the match and gave URI the doubles point.

The momentum did not carry into singles play, as Richmond took the opening set in all six matches. Straight-set wins for Beatriz Guerra at No. 6 and Lucy Webber at No. 4 put the Spiders ahead, 2-1.

A win by Lara Bakhaya at No. 2 singles put Richmond one point away from a spot in the A-10 semifinals. With Rhody needing to win all three remaining matches, it was not to be. Sofia Maria Barbulescu closed out the match at No. 1 singles in straight sets, ending URI's season.    

The Spiders advanced to the tournament semifinals, where they will face No. 2 VCU on Friday.

No. 3 Richmond 4, No. 6 Rhode Island 1
Doubles
Barbulescu/Bakhaya (RICH) def. Fernando/Helgesen; 7-5
Darcy/Pettersson (URI) def. Webber/Novak; 7-6 (7-2)
Herrman/Grmja (URI) def. Guerra/Lee; 6-4

Singles
Sofia Maria Barbulescu (Rich) def. Grace Darcy (URI); 7-5, 6-2        
Lara Bakhaya (Rich) def. Nikki Fernando (URI); 6-4, 6-3
Elizabeth Novak (Rich) DNF vs. Sophie Herrman (URI); 6-4, 4-3, did not finish
Abby Lee def. Kajsa Helesen (URI); 6-1, 6-1
Lucy Webber (Rich) def. Miruna Scarlat (URI); 6-2, 1-6, 3-2, did not finish 
Beatriz Guerra (Rich) def. vs. Anastasia Pettersson (URI); 6-1, 6-1