May 27, 2016
TULSA, Okla. – Frances Altick will return home from the NCAA Singles tournament as Vanderbilt’s single season win record holder with 39 victories this season.
The senior capped her career earning All-American honors and a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16. Altick fell to No. 6 Luisa Stefani of Pepperdine in three sets Friday afternoon, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. The Monroe, La. native was the first Commodore to compete in the round of 16 since Audra Falk in 2005.
“It was a really high level match and there was pretty stiff wind,” said head coach Geoff Macdonald. “Frances played a superb first set and lost some points there in the second that turned it, just with a quirk of the no-ad scoring system. But I give Stefani of Pepperdine credit for raising her level of play. She began cutting down unforced errors and playing really intelligently… coming to the net and volleying. It was more a question of Stefani winning than Frances losing.”
Down 3-2 in the first set, Altick strung together an 11-point winning streak to take the 4-3 advantage. At 40-15 the lone Commodore left in NCAA competition held for the 5-3 advantage. While Stefani edged her way back in after taking a deuce point, Frances held to seal the first set in her favor, 6-4.
After opening the second set with a break and taking a deuce point to hold serve, the senior Commodore was riddled with three deuce points in a row, which fell in the Waves favor. Stefani, a freshman phenom and All-American herself, took the second set to split, 6-2.
Frances fought continuously throughout the third set in hopes of advancing into the tournament’s Elite Eight, but after a 5-3 break Stefani defeated the senior standout, 6-3 in the third.
A tireless worker and relentless competitor, Altick has amassed a 109-34 career win record and 39-7 single season slate. Having a banner year on and off the court, Frances graduated with a degree in psychology, allowed only two losses in dual play and made her WTA debut at the Volvo Car Open.
Last season, Frances was named to both the NCAA and SEC All-Tournament teams, going undefeated in doubles with Marie Casares at both events. Frances plans to continue her tennis career with the goal to continue her education later in grad school.
“I think it’s the end of just an incredible career and she’s deserved every award… I mean All-SEC, National Most Improved Player of the Year, All-American, and then to lead a team to a national championship, final four and sec championship… you know, wow! She’s just goes down as one of the all-time greats at Vanderbilt.”
