#2 MASSACHUSETTS def. #1 VCU, 4-2

The Massachusetts Minutewomen won the 2017 Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis Championship on Sunday afternoon at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. They defeated four-time reigning champion VCU 4-2, who has won the title each year since joining the league. UMass receives the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and awaits their opponent and play location, which will be announced on Tuesday, May 2.

VCU won the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Janina Braun and Anna Rasmussen defeated Ruth Crawford and Anna Woosley, 6-2, winning at the top spot. Darya Berezhnaya and Magda Aubets would clinch the point for the Rams with a 6-4 victory. The third double spot was locked up 5-5 when the match was clinched by VCU.

The Minutewomen didn't back down from the challenge as they would come from behind to earn the first point in singles. Ana Yrazusta took a 7-5, 6-3 decision at the third position to put the Minutewomen on the board. Laura Moreno would extend their lead as she took a 6-3 first set victory, but Noumea Witmus would put up a fight in the second taking the set to a tiebreaker where Moreno was victorious.

VCU would then tie the match, 2-2, as Anna Rasmusson took a 6-4, 7-5 victory at the No. 2 spot over UMass' Ruth Crawford.

The final three courts would all be taken to three sets. UMass' Brittany Collens dropped a tough first set tiebreaker, but bounced back to take 6-0, 6-2 victories in the second and third sets, respectively. It came down to No. 4 and No. 1 singles as VCU would need both singles victories to come back and win. UMass senior Anna Woosley ended up being the deciding factor as she took a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Berezhnaya at the No. 4 position. Woosley broke Berezhnaya's serve to take the sixth game, winning the match. Braun and Janja Kovacevic were tied up two all in the third set when the match was clinched.

The A-10 title is the first for the Minutewomen since 2001. Head Coach Judy Dixon announced prior to the season she would retire at the end of her 25^th year coaching UMass tennis.