NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Although the team fought hard in singles, it wasn’t enough as the 14th-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team fell to No. 54 Alabama, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Currey Tennis Center. This was Vanderbilt’s first loss to Alabama in 17 years.
The Commodores came out flat in doubles play, falling on all three courts to the Crimson Tide. Rachael Dillon and Alex Leatu were unable to hold off No. 12 Alexa Guarchi and Courtney McLane in the No. 1 match, and Alabama clinched the doubles point with an 8-1 win in the No. 3 match.
Jackie Wu quickly evened up the score with a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the No. 4 match, but Alabama’s Guarachi reclaimed the lead with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Chelsea Preeg on court two. Antonia Foehse increased the Crimson Tide’s lead to 3-1 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Dillon in the No. 5 match.
After dropping her first set 3-6, Leatu evened up the match with a 6-1 win in the second set, and claimed the victory with a 6-2 win in the third set. Shortly after, Keilly Ulery tied the match at 3-3 with a three-set victory on court six. Like Leatu, Ulery dropped her first set but battled back and claimed a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win.
With court three left to decide the outcome of the match, Lauren Mira and Alabama’s Courtney McLane battled in each game. In the first set, Mira fought back from a 1-4 deficit to take the first set, 7-5. McLane forced a third set with a 6-4 win in the second set. After falling behind 4-1, Mira was unable to reclaim the lead and dropped the match with a 6-4 loss in the third set.
The Commodores host their final two matches of the spring at the Currey Tennis Center this weekend, beginning with South Carolina on Friday and concluding with Florida on Sunday.
