ATHENS, Ga. – For the third season in a row, Vanderbilt women’s tennis is Final Four-bound.
The Commodores used a fearless effort on Sunday to advance past 12th-ranked/12th seeded Pepperdine, 4-2, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. The victory sets up a Final Four matchup between the Commodores (24-5) and the top-ranked Florida Gators for the third time this season and sixth in NCAA tournament history. The SEC foes will face off Monday at 1 p.m. CT.
After faltering in doubles against an impressive Wave lineup, VU rallied from the one-point loss to earn singles victories on courts six, one, five and two. Seniors Georgina Sellyn and Sydney Campbell fought through third sets for Vandy’s final two points.
In tandems, Pepperdine earned the first win on the day, as No. 8 Christine Maddox and Mayar Sherif Ahmed downed top-ranked Astra Sharma and Emily Smith, 6-2. The Dores leveled the opportunity on court two with a 6-2 victory by Sydney Campbell and Emma Kurtz over No. 53 Luisa Stefani and Jean Runglerdkriangkrai. The win was the team’s 10th of the dual season (10-5). The Waves clinched the one-point opportunity on court three, defeating Christina Rosca and Fernanda Contreras, 6-3.
Following the doubles loss, the Dores regrouped to take four first sets.
No. 87 Contreras extended her winning streak to 12 matches, allowing only two games from Dzina Milovanovic throughout the entire match in the 6-0, 6-2 victory. A sophomore from Austin, Texas, Contreras leveled the match 1-all and has now allowed just nine games in three competitions.
Pepperdine earned its lone singles point of the outing against freshman Rosca, who has been duking it out all season on court three. Ranked 37th nationally, Ahmed earned the victory for the orange and blue, 6-2, 6-2.
The reigning SEC Player of the Year, No. 4-ranked Sharma, tied the overall score 2-all by defeating No. 14 Luisa Stefani in a gritty matchup on court one, 6-4, 6-4. The victory was the redshirt junior’s 92nd career win as a Commodore (92-26).
With No. 15 Campbell up 5-0 in her third set, Georgina Sellyn all but clinched VU’s place in the round of four. Falling in the second set, 3-6 , Sellyn fought back in the third set to defeat Runglerdkriangkrai 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Campbell, a Franklin, Tenn. native, allowed No. 19 Ashley Lahey a few key points late in the first set for the disadvantage, 4-6. However the experienced senior and ITA Player of the Year battled back against Lahey to close out a tight second set, 6-4 and roll through the decisive third set, 6-0. Kurtz was looking to force a third set when the match was concluded.
For updates and a behind the scenes look at the team, follow @VandyWTennis on Twitter and Instagram.
Survive and Advance! #NCAATennis #FIGHTDORES pic.twitter.com/PhtEXRbegG
— Vandy Women’s Tennis (@Vandywtennis) May 21, 2017
No. 3 Vanderbilt 4, No. 12 Pepperdine 2
Doubles
1) #8 Christine Maddox/Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPPERDINE) def. #1 Astra Sharma/Emily Smith (VANDERBILT), 6-2
2) Sydney Campbell/Emma Kurtz (VANDERBILT) def. #53 Luisa Stefani/Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (PEPPERDINE), 6-2
3) Ashley Lahey/Dzina Milovanovic (PEPPERDINE) def. Christina Rosca/Fernanda Contreras (VANDERBILT), 6-3
Singles
1) #4 Astra Sharma (VANDERBILT) def. #14 Luisa Stefani (PEPPERDINE), 6-4, 6-4
2) #15 Sydney Campbell (VANDERBILT) def. #19 Ashley Lahey (PEPPERDINE), 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
3) #37 Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPPERDINE) def. #102 Christina Rosca (VANDERBILT), 6-2, 6-2
4) Emma Kurtz (VANDERBILT) vs. #97 Laura Gulbe (PEPPERDINE), 4-6, 5-6, uf
5) Georgina Sellyn (VANDERBILT) def. Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (PEPPERDINE), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
6) #87 Fernanda Contreras (VANDERBILT) def. Dzina Milovanovic (PEPPERDINE), 6-0, 6-2
Doubles (1,2,3) Singles (6,3,1,5,2)
