Sept. 10, 2009
Fall SEC Coaches Classic Draws/Schedule
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team will open up the fall 2009 season this weekend as it hosts the Southeastern Conference Fall Coaches Classic. All 12 of the SEC league members will square off in doubles and singles play at the Brownlee O. Currey Tennis Center this weekend. It marks the first time the Commodores have hosted the annual SEC event since they hosted it in 1995.
The tournament will get underway Friday morning with doubles play beginning at 9 a.m. The classic will feature eight; eight-person singles draws and four eight-player doubles draws. All 15 courts (10 outside, 5 inside) will be used during the three-day event due to the large number of competitors. Each doubles tandem will play two matches in the morning before starting singles action at approximately 1 p.m.
VU enters the fall season, fresh off its school record 15th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The ‘Dores return all but one player from last year’s team, led by All-SEC performers in senior Catherine Newman and sophomore Jackie Wu. Vanderbilt finished the 2009 dual season ranked No. 22 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, marking the 15th straight year the ‘Dores finished among the top-25.
The ‘Dores start the fall season with three players ranked in singles in the ITA preseason poll. Wu enters the fall ranked No. 38 while Newman and Keilly Ulery are ranked 46th and 95th, respectively.
In doubles, the sophomore duo of Heather Steinbauer and Wu were tabbed as the nation’s No. 19 doubles tandem after defeating five ranked doubles teams last spring.
Results from each day of the 2009 Fall SEC Coaches Classic will be posted on vucommodores.com following the final match of the day. Stay tuned to Vanderbilt’s official athletic website for further updates on the event.