MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — As the lone Dore remaining for the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team in the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships, junior Bridget Stammel defeated Tennessee’s Catherine Aulia 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3 to advance into the singles finals.
Monday marked a rematch from last season: Aulia defeated then No. 24 Stammel 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in January en route to a 4-3 Tennessee win. With a berth into the NCAA Singles Championships on the line, both Aulia and Stammel left their all on the court once again.
The No. 34 ranked Stammel battled back and forth with No. 81 Aulia, as the two were unable to create any separation on the scoreboard. The competitive play led to a set one tiebreaker, where Stammel fell behind early 4-1. The Commodore rallied back to claim the next four points and ultimately the tiebreak point, winning the first set 7-6 (5). Despite the long-winded loss, Aulia fought back in the second set. The Volunteer remained consistent and eventually earned another tiebreak opportunity; this time, Aulia executed. The set ended 7-6 (4) in favor of Tennessee, and the match rolled on into the third.
The start of the third set looked as if the tiebreaker loss had taken its toll on Stammel. Aulia opened a 2-0 lead on the Dore with her serving game to follow. But like Stammel has in dire moments all season thus far, she slowly began to chip away and take control. Vanderbilt evened the score at 2-2 before another tie at 3-3. Stammel did not allow Aulia to take another game for the remainder of the match. The junior played relentlessly consistent tennis, committing little to none unforced errors while taking advantage of Aulia’s. Stammel pushed ahead and took the third set 6-3 to move on in the singles draw.
“A really impressive performance from Bridget today against Catherine,” head coach Aleke Tsoubanos said. “It was a rematch […], and this time Bridget came out on the other side of a very high-quality match from both players. I’m excited for her to play in the championship tomorrow and the opportunity to compete in her first NCAA Singles Championships in November.”
Stammel faces the tournament’s No. 9 seed, Carmen Gallardo Guevara of Purdue, in the singles finals Tuesday at 10 a.m. CT. Gallardo Guevara eliminated East Tennessee State’s Daniela Rivera 7-5, 6-4 to advance into the singles finals matchup. The winner earns an entry into the NCAA Singles Championships, taking place Nov. 19-24 hosted by Baylor.
