NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 12th-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team improved to 7-3 Sunday, with a 5-2 win over No. 26 Pepperdine. The Commodores swept their weekend set and have now won four-straight matches. Marie Casares extended her match win-streak to 12 with the clinching win at No. 4 singles.
Vanderbilt started off the afternoon earning a hard fought doubles point. Pepperdine won the first doubles match, 8-4, at No. 3, before the Commodores evened it up with a 8-5 win at No. 2 by Marie Casares and Ashleigh Antal. Casares and Antal knocked off 47th-ranked Chiang and Capannolo for their second win of the year over a ranked opponent.
Facing two match points Lauren Mira and Courtney Colton battled back to force a tiebreak at 7-all. After falling early 2-0, the Vandy duo stormed back playing a nearly perfect breaker to take the match and clinch the point, 8-7 (2).
The Commodores rode the momentum from doubles right into singles, jumping to early leads on every court. Pepperdine, however, fought back winning four-of-six first sets, at position one through four.
Vanderbilt didn’t have a problem winning at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, as both Antal (5) and Mira (6)cruised to wins giving the `Dores a 3-0 advantage.
After dropping their first sets No. 48 Georgina Sellyn, Frances Altick, No. 124 Colton and Casares each earned a split to force a third set.
Casares was the first to finish at No. 4, clinching the match for the Commodores with a 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-2 win. Casares’ win is her 20th of the season, and her 12th in a row.
The `Dores and Waves continued to play out the remaining three singles matches in what proved to be very competitive.
At No. 1, Sellyn had her hands full with 23rd-ranked Lorraine Guillermo. The two went back-and-forth for much of the day, each capitalizing on the others unforced errors. In the end it was Guillermo who picked up the 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win to get Pepperdine on the board.
Colton picked up the final win of the day for the Commodores at No. 3 singles, defeating Ale Granillo 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Altick fell at the No. 2 position to Matea Cutura, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Vanderbilt will open conference play next weekend when they host Arkansas on Friday and LSU on Sunday.
#12 Vanderbilt 5, #26 Pepperdine 2
Singles competition
1. #23 Lorraine Guillermo (PEP) def. #48 Georgina Sellyn (VU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
2. Matea Cutura (PEP) def. Frances Altick (VU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. #124 Courtney Colton (VU) def. Ale Granillo (PEP) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
4. Marie Casares (VU) def. Michaela Capannolo (PEP) 6-7 (2-6), 6-1, 6-2
5. Ashleigh Antal (VU) def. Yuki Chiang (PEP) 6-3, 6-3
6. Lauren Mira (VU) def. A.Runglerdkriangkrai (PEP) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Courtney Colton/Lauren Mira (VU) def. Lorraine Guillermo/Christine Maddox (PEP) 8-7 (7-2)
2. Marie Casares/Ashleigh Antal (VU) def. #47 Yuki Chiang/Michaela Capannolo (PEP) 8-5
3. Matea Cutura/Ale Granillo (PEP) def. Georgina Sellyn/Frances Altick (VU) 8-4
Match Notes:
Pepperdine 4-3; National ranking #26
Vanderbilt 7-3; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,5,4,1,3,2)
T-4:17
