NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After finishing up its final exams before fall break, the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team continued its solid singles play by picking up seven wins in front of a nice crowd at day one of the June Stewart Invitational.
Junior Catherine Newman breezed through Middle Tennessee State’s Natalie Araya in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 to advance to tomorrow’s second round. Friday’s win gives Newman her sixth win of the fall season, tying her for second on the team.
The Greensboro, N.C., native will face off against Kentucky’s Lauren Meier at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. Meier clinched a spot in the second round with a win over William & Mary’s Ragini Acharya. Fellow junior Hannah Blatt won her fourth match of the fall season Friday after she defeated Sara Leavy of UT-Martin, 6-3, 6-3.
Senior Courtney Ulery picked up her third win of the season Friday after dispatching Sigrid Fischer of Indiana, 7-6(5), 6-3. Ulery will square off against William and Mary’s Lauren Sabacinski who advanced to tomorrow’s second round by defeating Taylor Coffey of MTSU.
Vanderbilt’s phenom freshman class continued its torrid pace as all four clinched a spot in tomorrow’s second round of the winner’s bracket. Jackie Wu pushed her undefeated streak to 7-0 after defeating Kentucky’s Carolina Escamilla in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
Chelsea Preeg followed suit as she won for the sixth time in seven matches over Western Michigan’s Amanda Moccia. Teammate Heather Steinbauer improved to 4-0 this fall after dispatching Rachel Denny of Western Michigan in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Erica Robertson advanced to tomorrow’s second round by defeating Western Michigan’s Yumi Matsuto. With the win, Robertson moves her record to 5-1. The freshman class is now a combined 22-2 in singles action.
In doubles the duo of Steinbauer and Courtney Ulery defeated MTSU’s team of Taylor Coffey and Natalie Araya, 8-3 while the Commodore duo of Blatt and Robertson dispatched Western Michigan’s pair of Amanda and Ashley Moccia.
Competition will begin tomorrow with doubles play starting at 9 a.m. at the Currey Tennis Center outside courts.
