NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After four Commodores secured an NCAA qualifier spot at Regionals, the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team looks to add to that list at the ITA South Sectional Championships Nov. 6-9 hosted by LSU.
No. 45 junior Valeria Ray is the lone Dore heading to Baton Rouge playing for an NCAA singles berth, and will partner with senior Bridget Stammel as the No. 37 ranked pair aim for a doubles spot. The No. 43 freshmen duo of Erin Pearce and Mia Yamakita will also compete in the Sectional doubles bracket. The ITA Sectional Championships serve as the last qualifying opportunity for the NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships taking place Nov. 18-23 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
Both doubles teams made runs at the ITA Regional Championships in Knoxville, but fell short of earning qualifier status. Pearce and Yamakita came within one win of doing so before falling to Tennessee’s No. 17 Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso; Ray and Stammel were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Volunteers’ Francesca Mattioli and Maeve Thornton. No. 27 Stammel and Yamakita did, however, claim qualifying spots in singles after advancing to the final from opposite sides of the bracket. The No. 12 ranked pairing of graduate Célia-Belle Mohr and sophomore Sophia Webster also punched their NCAA ticket with a doubles final victory over Aulia and Britez Risso.
Sectional play is set to begin with singles tomorrow at 9 a.m. followed by doubles at 3 p.m. The ITA South Sectional Championships tournament page is available online with live streaming available here. For more information, updates and exclusive content, follow the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team, @VandyWTennis, on Instagram and X.
