LEXINGTON, Ky. – In their first SEC road test the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores escaped snowy Lexington, Ky. with a 4-2 victory over No. 20 Kentucky. With the win the Commodores improve to 8-4 overall with an undefeated 3-0 start to SEC play.
“We were ahead the whole time and gave a good level of intensity,” said head coach Geoff Macdonald. “But they were a very good top-20 Kentucky team at home and indoors. They are a very good indoor team and we played them at 9:00 am eastern, which was 7:00 am our time with the time change… so we fought through some adversity but I thought the team handled it with toughness and class.”
The `Dores began the mornings competition taking the doubles point with solid wins on courts two and three.
No. 33 Ashleigh Antal and Astra Sharma defeated the Wildcats’ Kirsten Lewis/Nadia Ravita; 8-3. To clinch the doubles point Frances Altick and Marie Casares took the win over Kelsey Dieters and Taylor Lederman in an 8-4 victory.
Vandy continued its doubles successes into singles as No. 11 Sydney Campbell got off the court in two easy sets, only allowing her opponent three games in her 6-2, 6-1 victory over #60 Nadia Ravita.
“Sydney (Campbell) had a really convincing win at one in singles, followed by Courtney Colton at three. They also had a great player at four, Mami Adachi, who played a great match against Frances (Altick). The player at two came back to beat Astra (Sharma) at 7-6 in the third, but that was a great match. The seniors were both up, and I think Ashleigh (Antal) would have won, but Marie (Casares) pulled it out to clinch the win.”
The Wildcats chiseled away at the Commodores’ 2-0 lead as Mami Adachi came out victorious at No. 4 singles. Adachi defeated junior Frances Altick; 6-2, 6-4.
No. 103 Courtney Colton defeated Kelsey Dieters in a 6-3, 6-2 victory on court three. With the win the `Dores would be back on top, but the match score would deviate just once more with No. 98 Astra Sharma falling in a difficult three-set match to Aldila Sutjiadi; 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3).
With the score at 3-all both No. 63 Marie Casares and Ashleigh Antal were in good positions to seal the Commodore victory. Casares would finish her No. 6 singles competition first with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Taylor Lederman.
The `Dores continue on the road in conference action as they travel to in-state rival Tennessee on the 13th at 3:00 p.m. Vandy caps off its weekend in Athens, squaring off against the Georgia Bulldogs at 12:00 p.m. CT.
No. 13 Vanderbilt 4, No. 20 Kentucky 2
Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex – Lexington, Ky.
March 8, 2015
Doubles (Order of finish: 2, 3*)
1 – Aldila Sutjiadi/Mami Adachi (UK) vs. #19 Colton/Campbell (VU), DNF (7-7)
2 – #33 Antal/Sharma (VU) def. Kirsten Lewis/Nadia Ravita (UK), 8-3
3 – Altick/Casares (VU) def. Kelsey Dieters/Taylor Lederman (UK), 8-4
Singles (Order of finish: 1, 4, 3, 2, 6*)
1 – #11 Sydney Campbell (VU) def. #60 Nadia Ravita (UK), 6-2, 6-1
2 – Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. #98 Astra Sharma (VU), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3)
3 – #103 Courtney Colton (VU) def. Kelsey Dieters (UK), 6-3, 6-2
4 – Mami Adachi (UK) def. #123 Frances Altick (VU), 6-2, 6-4
5 – Kirsten Lewis (UK) vs. Ashleigh Antal (VU), DNF (6-4, 4-6, 1-4)
6 – #63 Marie Casares (VU) def. Taylor Lederman (UK), 6-4, 6-3
