NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The second-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team picked up their 10th top-25 victory Saturday afternoon, serving the 20th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats a 4-1 loss.
With the victory, the Commodores improve to 15-3 overall and 8-1 in Southeastern Conference play. Vanderbilt now boasts 13 ranked victories on the season.
VU began its sole competition of the weekend snagging an efficient doubles point with victories on courts two and three.
Playing at No. 2 doubles, Christina Rosca and Amanda Meyer garnered a solid 6-2 victory over the Wildcats’ Brianna Tulloch and Mami Adachi. Summer Dvorak and Fernanda Contreras teamed up on court three, clinching the point advantage with a 6-3 win over Justina Mikulskyte and Diana Tkachenko.
With the doubles point in Vandy’s possession, Kentucky rallied to quickly level the overall match score, 1-all. The Cats picked up their lone point of the outing on court five over Smith, 6-2, 6-2.
Dvorak gave the black and gold the 2-1 advantage, taking a 6-3, 6-2 victory on court five over Tulloch. The victory was the Laguna Beach, Calif. native’s fourth SEC victory, with just one conference loss to her name.
Fifth-ranked Contreras earned her 31st victory of the year Saturday, downing 100th-ranked Mikulskyte in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 on court one. The win places Contreras alongside Julie Ditty and Kristen Radford for fourth in the Vanderbilt women’s tennis records for single-season wins. Frances Altick owns the record after amassing 39 wins in 2016.
No. 39 Rosca battled her way through one of the toughest tiebreakers of the season, ensuring a 7-6(9) first-set advantage over UK’s Emily Fanning. The sophomore powered past her opponent on court two in the second set for a 7-6(9), 6-2 victory to earn her second consecutive clinch for Vanderbilt and the 4-1 team victory.
ICYMI; ROSCA with the CLICH, 7-6(9), 6-2! #FightDores
FINAL: No. 2 VU 4, No. 20 UK 1 pic.twitter.com/tTyt8CzCpb
— Vandy Women’s Tennis (@Vandywtennis) March 31, 2018
At the clinch, UK’s senior two-time, All-American Adachi led Vandy’s 97th-ranked freshman, Meyer, 4-3 in the third set. Kurtz and Tkachenko were also battling at the conclusion of the match, at 1-all in the third set on court four.
The Commodores host their final two home matches of the regular season next week, hosting Texas A&M on Thursday at 4 p.m. and LSU on Saturday with Senior Day festivities beginning at 10:50 a.m.
Awesome time hosting our youth clinic after the dub! Thanks for all who attended! #FightDores pic.twitter.com/HDM7DeoCwJ
— Vandy Women’s Tennis (@Vandywtennis) March 31, 2018
