NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 18 Vanderbilt women’s tennis began its 2026 season with two shutout victories over Western Kentucky and Belmont at the Lummis Family Tennis Center on Saturday.
“It felt nice to be out there on the courts again competing as a group, which for us is the most fun part of the year, the team dual season,” head coach Aleke Tsoubanos said. “It was nice to see Erin [Pearce] and Mia [Yamakita] out there in their first dual matches as Commodores.”
None other than No. 2 ranked graduate Célia-Belle Mohr and sophomore Sophia Webster got the ball rolling in doubles against Western Kentucky (0-2) with a 6-0 takedown of Emily Schut and Andra Sirbu. The Commodores followed suit at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, grabbing wins at each position and moving ahead 1-0 over the Hilltoppers. Singles played out much of the same as Vanderbilt (2-0) cruised to a 7-0 victory to begin the day.
The Dores continued the momentum in their second match of the day versus Belmont (0-1). It was another doubles trifecta for the black and gold with a different combination of pairs, including the dual match debut of the No. 46 ranked freshmen duo, Erin Pearce and Mia Yamakita. The two defeated Mia Jones and Cielo Tapia-Cruz 6-2 at the No. 2 position. Vanderbilt was dominant in singles play, with No. 33 ranked senior Bridget Stammel leading the way at the No. 2 spot after not competing against Western Kentucky. Stammel locked down Jones en route to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
Vandy eventually pulled ahead 5-0, but all eyes turned to No. 4 singles as Tapia-Cruz looked to mount a comeback against sophomore Trinetra Vijayakumar, who took the first set 6-3. The Bruin evened the match with a 6-4 frame in the second, and the two went to a 10-point tiebreaker to decide the third set. But it was all Vijayakumar in the third, as she ultimately claimed a 10-3 advantage to seal the match win. Senior Sonya Macavei provided the Dores their final point of the day after moving past Libbie Hamilton 6-1, 6-1.
“With those two matches today, and some really good tennis last weekend in Knoxville, we will now look to prepare this week for ITA Kickoff Weekend and our matchup with Notre Dame next Saturday,” Tsoubanos said.
The Commodores will face the Fighting Irish in the first of two matches during ITA Kickoff Weekend, which consists of a four-team bracket. The team to win twice will secure its spot at the ITA National Indoor Championships. Vanderbilt and Notre Dame are set to play next Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information, updates and exclusive game day content, follow the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team, @VandyWTennis, on Instagram and X.
No. 18 Vanderbilt 7, Western Kentucky 0
Doubles
1. No. 2 Mohr/Webster (Vanderbilt) def. Schut/Sirbu (Western Kentucky) 6-0
2. Pearce/Ray (Vanderbilt) def. Isabelle Einess/Elizabeth Sobieski (Western Kentucky) 6-2
3. Vijayakumar/Yamakita (Vanderbilt) def. Virginia Madueno/Barbara Olvera (Western Kentucky) 6-3
Singles
1. Mohr (Vanderbilt) def. Einess (Western Kentucky) 6-0, 6-1
2. No. 17 Ray (Vanderbilt) def. Sirbu (Western Kentucky) 6-1, 6-1
3. No. 36 Yamakita (Vanderbilt) def. Schut (Western Kentucky) 6-1, 6-2
4. Vijayakumar (Vanderbilt) def. Olvera (Western Kentucky) 6-4, 6-1
5. Webster (Vanderbilt) def. Madueno (Western Kentucky) 6-0, 6-2
6. Pearce (Vanderbilt) def. Ariadna Fernandez (Western Kentucky) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,2,3,5,4,6)
No. 18 Vanderbilt 7, Belmont 0
Doubles
1. No. 13 Ray/Stammel (Vanderbilt) def. Jessica Popiol/Savannah Webster (Belmont) 6-3
2. No. 46 Pearce/Yamakita (Vanderbilt) def. Jones/Tapia-Cruz (Belmont) 6-2
3. Vijayakumar/Webster (Vanderbilt) def. Hamilton/Ketevan Jeladze (Belmont) 6-2
Singles
1. No. 17 Ray (Vanderbilt) def. Webster (Belmont) 6-3, 6-0
2. No. 33 Stammel (Vanderbilt) def. Jones (Belmont) 6-1, 6-0
3. No. 36 Yamakita (Vanderbilt) def. Popiol (Belmont) 6-3, 6-1
4. Vijayakumar (Vanderbilt) def. Tapia-Cruz (Belmont) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3)
5. Pearce (Vanderbilt) def. Jeladze (Belmont) 6-1, 6-0
6. Macavei (Vanderbilt) def. Hamilton (Belmont) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,1,5,4,6)
