Jan. 25, 2018
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the second-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team, the season is finally here. The Commodores welcome Florida State (2), Virginia (3) and Nebraska (4) this weekend in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
Hosted by VU for the fourth consecutive season, the Commodores look to make their sixth trip to National Team Indoors in as many years. Vanderbilt will begin its 2018 campaign this Friday at 3 p.m. CT, when the top-seeded Dores take on the fourth-seeded Huskers inside the Currey Tennis Center.
Fifteen “regionals” are played on both the men’s and women’s sides, with four teams competing in each regional. The winners of the single-elimination event advance to next month’s ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships.
Wisconsin (women’s) and Washington (men’s) will serve as hosts for the National Team Indoors and received automatic invitations to the event and are exempt from competing in the Kick-Off Weekend.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the program, follow @VandyWTennis on Twitter and Instagram.
Macdonald Minute:
Commodore Notables:
- Vanderbit begins the season ranked No. 2 in the nation
- Head coach Geoff Macdonald begins his 24th season at Vanderbilt
- Commodores went 24-6 overall and 12-1 in SEC play last season
- Vanderbilt clinched the SEC Regular Season and Tournament titles in 2017
- Reigning SEC Player of the Year, Astra Sharma, returns for redshirt-senior season
- Sharma made Grand Slam debut, competing in the 2018 Australian Open Doubles tournament
- VU boasts three ranked singles players; No. 4 Fernanda Contreras, No. 19 Christina Rosca and No. 96 Summer Dvorak
- Rivera ITA doubles semifinalists, Emma Kurtz and Rosca, rank 19th in doubles
- Contreras was a semifinalist in Riviera/ITA All-Americans and Fall Nationals
- Dores return four of six singles players, losing Sydney Campbell and Georgina Sellyn
- The Commodores welcome two freshmen; Lauren Gish and Amanda Meyer
Scouting the Huskers:
- Nebraska takes on Vanderbilt in its season opener
- Seniors Brianna Lashway and Katerina Matysova will lead the Huskers in their first match of the official 2017-18 season
- Nebraska last played Vanderbilt in the 2012-13 season, winning 4-3
- The Huskers went 19-8 (5-6) in 2017
- Nebraska ended the 2017 season with a 4-0 loss to No. 4 Ohio State on Friday at the Big Ten Tournament.