May 14, 2015
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WACO, Texas- The fourth-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team continues its NCAA Tournament journey Friday no earlier then 5:00 pm CT, as the No. 4-nationally seeded Commodores face the No. 21 Clemson Tigers in the Sweet 16. This is the Commodores 21st consecutive tournament appearance, having never attended before head coach Geoff Macdonald took the reigns. This year’s NCAA Tournament takes place at Baylor University’s Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. Weather has been inconsistent in Texas with Vu playing indoors, therefore match times are tentative. Due to playing indoors, live video are not available. Follow Baylor’s live stats, live blog or @VandyWTennis on twitter for updates.
This is Vanderbilt’s second trip in a row to the round of 16 and 15th appearance overall. Last season the Florida Gators halted Vandy from tournament advancement, with a 4-0 sweep in Athens, Ga.
The Commodores square off against the ACC’s Tigers who defeated VU 4-2 two seasons ago in the second round of NCAA play. This is only the second time the two programs have faced one another in postseason play.
Vanderbilt has not surpassed the NCAA’s round of 16 since 2004, where the `Dores went all the way to the Final Four. This year VU advances to the Sweet 16 having defeated Murray State and Oklahoma 4-0 in Nashville last weekend. The `Dores have yet to drop a set or match in singles play. Both victories contributed to Vandy’s 23-match home win streak, which stretches two seasons.
VU comes into NCAAs with a stacked singles and doubles lineup, which have cemented Commodore victories in 17 of their last 19 matches.
No. 18 Senior Ashleigh Antal and redshirt freshman Astra Sharma lead the `Dores in the ITA tandems rankings, having amassed a hard earned 16-match win streak at the No. 2 position. The `Dores have performed exceptionally at the No. 2 tandems position, winning 88.0% of their matches this season.
Following Antal and Sharma just two spots up at No. 20 are junior Courtney Colton and sophomore Sydney Campbell. The pair registered an 8-3 upset over UGA’s then 11th-tanked tandem of Perez/Herring to spur a three-match win streak.
In singles play, the `Dores bring a stable and consistent lineup to the table, with five of the six positions filled with ranked athletes. On court one Franklin, Tenn. native Campbell leads the `Dores in the ITA as the No. 8 player in the country. With only three dual-match losses to her name, SEC Tournament MVP and Ohio Valley Rookie of the Year, Sharma, follows as the 42nd-ranked player. Colton is the 62nd ranked player in the ITA rankings, with only two losses on court four.
Coming in at No. 96, Frances Altick is currently on a seven-match win streak, going undefeated in the SEC at the No. 3 spot of the VU lineup. Always bringing passion and a competitive edge in every competition, senior Marie Casares is No. 120 in the ITA rankings. Antal’s success on court has been critical for the Commodores this season, as both she and Casares have added senior stability throughout the 2015 campaign.
Tracking the Tigers:
The Tigers (18-9) make their way to the Sweet 16 for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons after upsetting the SEC’s own Alabama Crimson Tide 4-2 to take the Tuscaloosa regional.
Owning a 4-2 all-time record advantage, Clemson brings three ranked singles players into Friday’s match with Joana Eidukonyte leading the squad at No. 12 in the country. Eidukonyte, who plays primarily at the No. 3 singles position, boasts a 22-3 dual match record for the Tigers and is currently riding a six-match win streak. Follwing the junior in the ITA rankings are No. 26 Romy Koelzer and No. 60 Beeatrice Gumulya.
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