MASON, Ohio — Competing in its second straight ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships doubles final, Vanderbilt women's tennis would not be denied an NCAA berth as senior Valeria Ray and junior Sophia Webster downed Tennessee opponents to secure the doubles championship on Tuesday from the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
The final was a rivalry matchup against the Volunteer duo of Sarah Mildren and Alyson Shannon, the same pair that knocked out sophomore teammates Erin Pearce and Mia Yamakita in the semifinals on Monday. Vanderbilt opened up a quick 2-0 lead, but Tennessee responded in the next two games to even the score 2-2. From there, it was all black and gold in the first set, as Ray and Webster claimed the opening frame 6-2.
It was a back-and-forth match throughout the second, with neither team generating separation as the score went to 3-3. The Volunteers pulled ahead 4-3 after taking a deuce point in their favor and broke the Dores' next service game to move up 5-3. Ray and Webster dug in with their backs against the wall, evening the match at 5-5. The second set ultimately went to a tiebreaker at 6-6.
Vanderbilt trailed for a majority of the tiebreak game. But up 6-4, Tennessee was unable to convert back-to-back match points, allowing the Dores to knot it up at 6-6. The black and gold then moved ahead 7-6, and a Webster volley sealed the tiebreak point and match win at 8-6.
The victory secures Ray and Webster's spot in the NCAA Doubles Championships, hosted by Georgia from Nov. 17-22. For Webster, it is her second consecutive regional doubles title after winning in 2025 alongside Célia-Belle Mohr. It marks the first regional title, doubles or singles, of Ray's career.
The Commodores do not return to play for the remainder of October, with their next competition taking place Nov. 5-8 at the ITA Sectional Championships and Conference Masters Championships. Both tournaments serve as the final qualifying opportunity for the NCAA individual championships.
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Day 5 Results:
DOUBLES
• No. 29 Ray/Webster [Vanderbilt] def. Mildren/Shannon [Tennessee] 6-2, 7-6 (6)