NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eleventh-ranked Vanderbilt overcame a pair of deficits to defeat No. 31 Kentucky 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Currey Tennis Center.
After losing the doubles point and going down 3-1 through three singles matches, the Commodores (12-2, 4-2 SEC) persevered through the final three singles matches to complete the comeback.
COMEBACK COMPLETE‼️
Down 3-1, Vanderbilt come back to take a 4-3 victory over No. 31 Kentucky. #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/pVcTK8CAbP
— Vanderbilt Women’s Tennis (@VandyWTennis) March 14, 2021
Marcella Cruz first made it a 3-2 deficit by taking a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win at No. 5 over Elizabeth Stevens by jumping out to a 4-1 advantage in the third set after dropping a tight second set.
Evening the match, Anessa Lee worked through a break-filled third set to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 over Carla Girbau at No. 4. The freshman went down 2-0 in the third set, then fought back to even the set at 2-2 before going through a run of breaks.
Pulling things together late, Lee got one more break and secured the three-set win to setup Emma Kurtz completing the comeback.
While Kurtz dropped her first set at No. 2, she took the second set and used the momentum to race to a big lead in the third on the way to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Carlota Molina.
After Kentucky (11-3, 3-3 SEC) took the doubles point, even though Lee and Christina Rosca earned a 6-0 win and Anna Ross and Holly Staff answered a 4-0 deficit with a chance to tie the match at 5-5, the Commodores evened the match at 1-1 with Amanda Meyer earning a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 6 over Ana Tkachenko in her first singles match of the spring season.
In the midst of a four-match homestand and looking to keep the momentum going, Vanderbilt will go back at it Saturday in a noon match against Texas A&M.
Results
Singles
1. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. #20 Christina Rosca (VANDY) 6-2, 7-5
2. Emma Kurtz (VANDY) def. Carlota Molina (UK) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
3. Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Holly Staff (VANDY) 6-4, 6-4
4. Anessa Lee (VANDY) def. Carla Girbau (UK) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
5. Marcella Cruz (VANDY) def. Elizabeth Stevens (UK) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
6. Amanda Meyer (VANDY) def. Anastasia Tkachenko (UK) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
1. Akvile Parazinskaite/Fiona Arrese (UK) def. Anna Ross/Holly Staff (VANDY) 6-4
2. Carla Girbau/Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Marcella Cruz/Emma Kurtz (VANDY) 6-2
3. Christina Rosca/Anessa Lee (VANDY) def. #57 Anastasia Tkachenko/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) 6-0
Match Notes:
Kentucky 11-3, 3-3 SEC; National ranking #31
Vanderbilt 12-2, 4-2 SEC; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,3,5,4,2)
T-3:25
