Sept. 15, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. – The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team kicked off its fall 2017 season Friday morning, competing against Clemson, Georgia and Missouri on day one of the Puerto Rico Fall Classic, hosted in Athens, Ga.
Tournament play was originally scheduled to be in Puerto Rico, however due to the recent hurricanes impacting the Caribbean, Georgia serves as host. The three-day fall tournament will consist of singles and doubles matches. The individual results count for the student-athletes, but no team score is kept throughout fall play.
The Commodores opened the event going 1-3 in doubles, but pulled off a flawless 5-0 slate in their first session of singles against the Clemson Tigers. No. 17 Fernanda Contreras and Emily Smith earned their first win as a top-25 tandem, limiting Missouri’s Serena Nash/Marta Oliveira to two games in the pairing’s 6-2 victory.
All first-session singles victories came in straight sets, and were earned against the Dores’ 2017 NCAA round of 32 opponent, Clemson. Freshman Amanda Meyer won her first victory with the black and gold, as the Delray Beach, Fla. native picked up a dominant win over Clemson senior Daniela Ruiz, 6-3, 6-3.
Debuting in the ITA singles rankings three days ago, No. 112 Emma Kurtz downed fellow sophomore Sydney Riley in the closest contest of the day, 6-4, 6-4. No. 47 Christina Rosca only allowed CU’s Tate Schroeder three games in her 6-1, 6-2 victory. Summer Dvorak earned a solid 6-2, 6-2 victory over Constanza Gorches, while Smith downed Ally Miller-Krasilnikov, 6-0, 6-3.
VU took on players from UGA and Mizzou throughout session two of singles. No. 63 Contreras earned an impressive victory over the Bulldog’s Vivian Wolff to jumpstart her fall, 6-1, 6-3. Senior Payton Robinette pulled in the team’s lone three-setter and the Maryville, Tenn. native took down Missouri’s Ally Noback, 6-1,5-7,6-3. Freshman Lauren Gish fell in her first match of the fall against a strong competitor in Laura Patterson, 6-1, 7-5.
Tournament play will begin tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. CT as Vanderbilt takes on Clemson in doubles and Georgia in singles. At 1 p.m., the Commodore squad will face players from Missouri throughout the second session of singles play.
Day One Results (School/ITA Ranking):
Emma Kurtz (VU/112) def. Sydney Riley (CU) 6-4,6-4
Christina Rosca (VU/47) def. Tate Schroeder (CU) 6-1,6-2
Summer Dvorak (VU) def. Constanza Gorches (CU) 6-2,6-2
Amanda Meyer (VU) def. Daniela Ruiz (CU) 6-2,6-3
Emily Smith (VU) def. Ally Miller-Krasilnikov (CU) 6-0,6-3
Annette Goulak/Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Christina Rosca/Lauren Gish (VU) 6-1
Fernanda Contreras/Emily Smith (VU) def. Serena Nash/Marta Oliveira (UM) 6-2
Mackenzy Middlebrooks/Clare Raley (UM) def. Emma Kurtz/Amanda Meyer (VU) 6-3
Ellie Wright/Ally Noback (UM) def. Summer Dvorak/Payton Robinette (VU) 6-3
Round Two:
Fernanda Contreras (VU/63) d. Vivian Wolff (UGA) 6-1, 6-3
Laura Patterson (UGA) def. Lauren Gish (VU) 6-1,7-5
Payton Robinette (VU) def. Ally Noback (UM) 6-1,5-7,6-3