No. 4 VU Women’s Tennis Defeats No. 39 Georgia Tech, 6-1

No. 4 VU Women’s Tennis Defeats No. 39 Georgia Tech, 6-1

3/19/2004

ATLANTA — The fourth-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team closed out their regular-season non-conference schedule with a 6-1 win over 39th-ranked Georgia Tech at the Bill Moore Tennis Center Friday. The Commodores swept the doubles point and took five singles matches to capture their 14th victory of the season.

Vanderbilt’s three doubles teams have combined to win 36-of-47 matches in 2004, and the Commodores have lost the doubles point only three times this season. VU’s strong doubles play came through again today. The 27th-ranked pairing of juniors Audra Falk and Annie Menees got the Commodores off to a good start with an 8-0 win at second doubles over Shosho and Stauss of Georgia Tech.

Sophomore Ashley Schellhas and freshman Amanda Fish clinched the doubles point with an 8-5 win at third doubles over Silverio and Anson. The third-ranked team of seniors Kelly Schmandt and Aleke Tsoubanos finished the sweep at first doubles with an 8-6 victory over Grant and Anderson.

In singles, the Commodores would capture four first sets to put more pressure on Georgia Tech. At first singles, 27th-ranked Falk closed out 62nd-ranked Lyndsay Shosho, 6-4, 6-0, to give VU a 2-0 advantage. Menees would tack on another point, winning 6-2, 6-1, at sixth singles over Kacie Anson. VU’s lone loss of the day came at second singles, to bring the team score to 3-1, but the Commodores quickly answered to close out the match.

Fish, ranked 80th in the nation, used a 6-3, 6-4 win at fourth singles to clinch VU’s third-consecutive victory. Playing at third singles, the 69th-ranked Schmandt also won her match in straight sets — a 7-5, 6-4 decision over Alison Silverio. Schellhas’ victory at fifth singles gave the Commodores their final 6-1 mark. After dropping her first set, 2-6, Schellhas rallied to take the second, 7-5, and eventually won a third-set super-tiebreaker, 10-6.

The Commodores (14-2, 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference) return to SEC action on Sunday, March 21, when they visit the LSU Lady Tigers in Baton Rouge, La., for a 1 p.m. CT match.

No. 4 Vanderbilt def. No. 39 Georgia Tech, 6-1

Doubles
1. No. 3 Schmandt/Tsoubanos (VU) def. Grant/Anderson (GT), 8-6
2. No. 27 Falk/Menees (VU) def. Shosho/Stauss (GT), 8-0
3. Schellhas/Fish (VU) def. Silverio/Anson (GT), 8-5′
Order of finish: 2, 3*, 1

Singles
1. No. 27 Audra Falk (VU) def. No. 62 Lyndsay Shosho (GT), 6-4, 6-0
2. Kelly Anderson  (GT) def. Aleke Tsoubanos (VU), 6-3, 6-3
3. No. 69 Kelly Schmandt (VU) def. Alison Silverio (GT), 7-5, 6-4
4. No. 80 Amanda Fish (VU) def. Lindsey Stauss (GT), 6-3, 6-4
5. Ashley Schellhas (VU) def. Sekita Grant (GT), 2-6, 7-5, 10-6
6. Annie Menees (VU) def. Kacie Anson (GT), 6-2, 6-1