Greenville, S.C. – Vanderbilt women’s tennis returns to Nashville with a pair of championships following the final day of competition at the Debbie Southern Fall Classic.
In her first collegiate tournament freshman, Carolyn Campana brought home hardware for the Dores, defeating Mississippi State’s Anna Rentouli in a three-set match; 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
“It feels great competing as a Commodore and having my teammates root me on throughout the past couple of days,” said Campana. “I didn’t know what quite to expect for my first fall tournament. I just looked at every match as an opportunity and had no expectations. Every match I played I gave my absolute all and left everything I had out on the court.”
Competing in her final Debbie Southern Fall Classic, Commodore senior Emily Smith conquered her tournament flight with a victory over Florida State’s Julia Mikulski in straight sets; 6-4, 6-3. Smith views this start to the fall tournament season as a great preview of what is to come for herself and the Commodores for the rest of the season.
“I’ve enjoyed going to Furman the last few years. It’s always strong — this year even more so — and it was really awesome being able to battle through and win,” Smith said. “It’s our first tournament so it’s not always pretty as you try and get your game in the best shape possible, but being able to battle through regardless is a really good feeling. This gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.
“I hope I can keep finding ways to fight through different situations. You play so many matches in a season there are going to be times you don’t feel you’re playing your best. Being able to find a way to win in those moments is important. I really hope to keep momentum moving forward and just help the team have another great season in whatever way I can.”
Starting off the fall tournament season strong, the several Dores look to return to action on October 1 in the 2018 Riviera ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
