NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 16th-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team won five of the six singles matches after sweeping the doubles point to defeat the Yale Bulldogs 6-1 at the Currey Tennis Center Saturday. With the win, the Commodores push their dual record to 3-1 on the season while Yale falls to 6-2.
“I was really pleased with our team’s performance today against the defending Ivy League Champions,” head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “We really set the tone by taking all three doubles matches.”
Vanderbilt set the tone early by winning all three doubles matches against the 51st-ranked Bulldogs. The VU tandem of Heather Steinbauer and Jackie Wu took control early on in the No. 1 doubles match as they held on to defeat Yale’s pair of Janet Kim and Jessica Rhee, 8-4. Wu and Steinbauer improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in spring dual action. VU’s Catherine Newman and Chelsea Preeg teamed up to defeat the tandem of Vicky Brook and Lindsay Clark, 8-3. Keilly and Courtney Ulery paired up in doubles for the first time all season, dispatching Yale’s Stevi Petrelli and Sarah Lederhandler 8-5.
In singles action, Wu, Preeg, Steinbauer and Keilly Ulery picked up singles wins over it’s respective opponent in straight sets. Wu, cruised through her match, winning six-love in consecutive sets over Rhee in number two singles. With the win, Wu pushes her singles record to 17-5.
Sophomore Keilly Ulery improved to 13-8 in singles with an impressive 6-3, 6-0 victory over Yale’s Vicky Brook in the number three singles position. Like Wu, Preeg improved to 17-5 in singles with a convincing 6-0, 6-4 win over Petrelli in the number four slot.
VU’s Courtney Ulery captured her third win in her last four matches, dispatching Clark in the tie breaker. After dropping the first set 5-7, the older Ulery battled back to take the second set 6-3 before the match was retired after Clark suffered a leg injury in the tiebreaker.
Newman was the lone Commodore that was unable to pick up a singles win Saturday, falling 2-6, 7-5 and 10-4 in the second set tie breaker to Janet Kim at the number one singles spot.
“I think if Catherine’s match would have been played out to three sets, she would of won,” Macdonald said.
Today’s match with Yale marked the return home of former Vanderbilt two-time All-American Amanda Fish. Fish, a 2007 graduate of Vanderbilt, is serving in her first year as Yale’s assistant coach.
The Commodores will return to competition on March 6 as they will open the Southeastern Conference slate by hosting South Carolina at the Currey Tennis Center. The dual meet with the Gamecocks will get underway at 2:30 p.m.
Doubles Results
1. Steinbauer / Wu (VU) def. Kim / Rhee (Yale) 8-4
2. Newman / Preeg (VU) def. Brook / Clark (Yale) 8-3
3. C. Ulery / K. Ulery (VU) def. Lederhandler / Petrelli (Yale) 8-5
order of finish – 2, 3, 1
Singles Results
1. Janet Kim (Yale) def. Catherine Newman (VU) 6-2, 5-7 (10-4)
2. Jackie Wu (VU) def. Jessica Rhee (Yale) 6-0, 6-0
3. Keilly Ulery (VU) def. Vicky Brook (Yale) 6-3, 6-0
4. Chelsea Preeg (VU) def. Stevi Petrelli (Yale) 6-0, 6-4
5. Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Lindsay Clark (Yale) 5-7, 6-3, 2-3 retired
6. Heather Steinbauer (VU) def. Sarah Lederhandler (Yale) 6-3, 6-4
order of finish – 2, 3, 4, 1, 5, 6
