COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 14 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team comeback bid fell just short as No. 30 South Carolina recorded a 4-3 win at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center in Columbia, S.C on Sunday afternoon. The win drops Vanderbilt to 7-2 and 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play while South Carolina improves to 7-2 and 1-1 in league play.
The Commodores lost the doubles point for the second-straight match. USC’s Suzanna Mansour and Megan McGavock defeated Caroline Ferrell and Keilly Ulery 8-3 at the No. 3 doubles position. The 17th-ranked team of Gira Schofield and Ana Zubori clinched the doubles point for the Gamecocks with an 8-2 victory over No. 33 Taka Bertrand and Catherine Newman at No. 1 doubles. Vanderbilt’s Amanda Taylor and Courtney Ulery picked up the lone doubles win for the Commodores, recording an 8-6 victory over Miljana Jocic and Natasa Vuckovic at No. 2 doubles.
Keilly Ulery pulled the Commodores even at one, registering a 6-2, 7-5 win over Jelena Rajic at the No. 5 singles position. At the third singles position, Vuckovic put the Gamecocks back on top 2-1 with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) win over No. 48 Courtney Ulery.
Bertrand evened the match at two at the No. 4 singles position with a 6-1, 6-2 straight set win over Jocic. Ferrell gave the Commodores their only lead of the match with her 6-4, 7-6 (3) win at the sixth singles position over McGavock.
South Carolina’s No. 56 Zubori defeated No. 43 Newman at the second singles position to even the match at three. Newman won the opening set 7-6 (5), but Zubori came back to win the second set 6-2. Zubori won the deciding third set 7-5 to square the match.
The match came down to the No. 1 singles position between No. 29 Taylor and No. 35 Schofield. VU’s Taylor captured the first set 7-6 (7), before dropping the second set 6-4. The final set was even the entire way and came down to a tiebreaker, which Schofield won 7-4 to claim the third set 7-6 (4).
Vanderbilt returns to action on Wednesday as it steps out of conference to face defending national champion and second-ranked Georgia Tech.
Sunday’s Results:
No. 30 South Carolina 4 def. No. 14 Vanderbilt 3
Doubles:
1. No. 17 Gira Schofield/Ana Zubori (USC) def. No. 33 Taka Bertrand/Catherine Newman (VU) – 8-2
2. Amanda Taylor/Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Miljana Jocic/Natasa Vuckovic (USC) – 8-6
3. Suzanna Mansour/Megan McGavock (USC) def. Caroline Ferrell/Keilly Ulery (VU) – 8-3
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles:
1. No. 35 Gira Schofield (USC) def. No. 29 Amanda Taylor (VU) – 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4)
2. No. 56 Ana Zubori (USC) def. No. 43 Catherine Newman (VU) – 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-5
3. Natasa Vuckovic (USC) def. No. 48 Courtney Ulery (VU) – 6-2, 7-6 (6)
4. Taka Bertrand (VU) def. Miljana Jocic (USC) – 6-1, 6-2
5. Keilly Ulery (VU) def. Jelena Rajic (USC) – 6-2, 7-5
6. Caroline Ferrell (VU) def. Megan McGavock (USC) – 6-4, 7-6 (3)
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 5, 6, 2, 1
Updated Team Records: Vanderbilt 7-2, 0-2 SEC; South Carolina 7-2, 1-1 SEC
