NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 32 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team will close its regular season at home with a doubleheader against No. 52 Louisiana State University and Tennessee State University on Friday, followed by a match on Sunday against No. 2 Texas A&M.
Scouting the Field
The Commodores defeated No. 57 Kentucky last weekend, moving to 12-9 overall on the season. The SEC match saw No. 34 Celia-Belle Mohr and Anessa Lee extend their singles win streaks to six and five, respectively. The No. 78 pairing of Mohr and Marcella Cruz also earned their third consecutive win against Kentucky. In the latest ITA rankings, Bridget Stammel locked in a singles ranking of No. 85.
The No. 52 LSU Tigers are 4-7 in SEC play, with its two most recent victories coming against Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The Tigers have two singles players ranked in the top 30 and three doubles pairings in the top 90. Overall, Vanderbilt is 30-17 against LSU and will look to improve that record at noon on Friday.
After the Dores take on the LSU Tigers, they will face off against in-state opponent the TSU Tigers. TSU is 4-18 overall this season, with its most recent win over Lindenwood. The match will not begin before 4 p.m. on Friday.
The Dores will take on the only undefeated team in the SEC at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday when they play No. 2 Texas A&M. The Aggies’ team features the No. 2 singles player in the country, along with six other members in the top 120. Texas A&M also has four doubles pairings ranked in the top 70. Overall, Vanderbilt is 4-8 against Texas A&M.
Celebrating the Seniors
Before Sunday’s match, Vanderbilt will honor Marcella Cruz, Dasha Kourkina and Anna Ross as a part of senior day. The celebrations will begin at about 10:45 a.m.
Marcella Cruz: Hailing from Marlboro, New Jersey, Cruz is a relentless competitor. As a freshman, she went 14-9 overall in singles play with a 4-1 dual match record before her rookie season was cut short by the pandemic. Even so, she was named to the SEC All-Newcomer team. In the 2020–21 season, she showed no signs of slowing down as she went 13-5 in dual-match singles play, clinched four victories for the team and earned SEC Newcomer of the Week for her role in Vanderbilt’s comeback against SEC rival Kentucky. As a junior, Cruz went 23-15 overall in singles play, including a win over a ranked opponent from South Carolina. This season, Cruz and doubles partner Mohr have consistently helped the team gain the advantage on the doubles courts. The duo is on the three-match win streak and is 8-2 in their last 10 matches. Cruz is known to bring a spirit of success to the team, along with a strong work ethic and energy. A human and organizational development and psychology major, Cruz chose Vanderbilt for the culture and the people and felt that it was the best place for her to learn and grow. Cruz is an outstanding ambassador for Vanderbilt Athletics as she serves as the current president of SAAC.
Anna Ross: Ross, a Charleston, South Carolina, native, has left her mark on Vanderbilt women’s tennis. As a freshman, Ross clinched the Dores’ first dual match of the season over Penn and went undefeated at home during dual matches before the season was curtailed by the pandemic. That didn’t stop Ross from returning the next year with more motivation to succeed. Ross went a perfect 4-0 at No. 1 singles and began playing with doubles partner Holly Staff at No. 1 doubles. The duo ranked as high as No. 18 in the ITA doubles rankings, and together they topped four ranked foes, including pairings from Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas. During the 2021–22 season, Ross led the team at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles and recorded five wins over nationally ranked opponents. She also earned a career-high singles ranking of No. 37. Ross earned an at-large bid to NCAA Singles Championships as well as the opportunity to play with Holly Staff at the NCAA Doubles Championships. She was named to the All-SEC Second Team, earned All-American honors and was named the Ohio Valley regional award winner of the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship honor. As a senior, Ross continues to be a role model on the team. During the ITA Kickoff Weekend, she made her dual match singles debut by defeating No. 3 NC State’s second-highest ranked player at the time, which helped set up her team to punch their ticket to Seattle. Against in-state and SEC rival Tennessee, Ross and Staff beat the No. 55 doubles pairing, clinching the doubles point for the Dores. A human and organizational development major, Ross’s favorite part of Nashville is the live music.
Dasha Kourkina: From Brooklyn, New York, Kourkina chose Vanderbilt for its great balance between athletics and academics. As a freshman, Kourkina clinched the match over SEC foe Alabama and held a four-match win streak in doubles. Even with the remainder of her freshman season canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to campus ready to play. Kourkina earned doubles victories over regional rivals such as Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Lipscomb. As a junior, Kourkina recorded her first 30-plus win season, with a 30-9 overall record and a 20-2 dual match record at singles. She contributed heavily to the Dores’ NCAA Sweet 16 run, notably winning her singles match against Xavier. Kourkina concluded the season on an 11-match win streak. This season, Kourkina has won two singles matches in straight sets to help Vanderbilt clinch must-win matches. She will always be remembered for putting the team first, for her smile and for her great sense of humor. A human and organizational development major, Kourkina enjoys spending time with friends and has hopes to go skydiving and visit Australia one day.
Home Match Notes
Both matches will be played at the Lummis Family Tennis Center, and admission is free. Fans can find parking in the 25th Avenue Garage, and the tennis center will enforce the clear bag policy.
Daddy’s Dogs will be at the match on Friday against LSU, and Elliston Place Soda Shop will be at Sunday’s match. The first $500 worth of food will be paid for by Vanderbilt’s tennis program. Alcohol will be available for purchase.
Up Next
The Dores will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to compete in the SEC women’s tennis championships April 19–23.
