The No. 19 Clemson Tigers faced a challenge in their ACC opener against No. 2 Virginia on Friday, falling 4-0 in a tough road matchup. Despite moments of strong play, the Tigers were unable to overcome the Cavaliers’ strong roster.

“It was a tough one tonight for our group,” head coach Boomer Saia said. “We fought down the stretch well, but it was a little too late. We created plenty of opportunities and need to continue to learn to increase our level of play in big moments and step through the windows of opportunities we create in each match. Our team is learning what it takes to be an elite team every weekend, and we need to be ready for a tough road match on Sunday.”

The Tigers (9-2, 0-1 ACC) started strong in doubles, with freshman duo Amelie Smejkalova and Gaia Parravicini securing an impressive 6-1 victory on court No. 1. However, the Cavaliers quickly responded. Graduate duo Sophia Hatton and Annabelle Davis fell 6-2 to No. 38-ranked pair Sara Ziodato and Meggie Navarro on court No. 3.

The deciding match came down to court No. 2, where Clemson’s tandem of Candela Yecora and Romana Cisovska fought hard but ultimately lost 6-4 to the No. 28-ranked duo of Martina Genis Salas and Annabelle Xu, giving Virginia the doubles point.

Virginia (7-3, 1-0 ACC) carried its momentum into singles play, securing quick victories to clinch the match. On court No. 1, No. 19-ranked Ziodato dominated Smejkalova with a comfortable 6-0, 6-0 win. The Cavaliers extended their lead as No. 91 Melodie Collard defeated Davis 7-5, 6-3 on court No. 4.

The final point came on court No. 5, where Genis Salas edged out No. 123 Artemis Aslanisvili in a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 match to seal Virginia’s victory. Three matches went unfinished, though Clemson players were battling competitively.

Clemson will remain on the road for its next challenge as it hopes to rebound in ACC play.