NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Trailing 2-0, the No. 12 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team won the next five singles matches to secure a stunning 5-2 comeback victory over No. 23 Kentucky on a blustery Saturday afternoon at the Currey Tennis Center. With the win, Vanderbilt improves to 17-4 and 7-4 in SEC play, while Kentucky drops to 14-8 and 5-6 in league play.
“It was about as close a match as you can have,” Vanderbilt women’s tennis head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “It could have easily gone 5-2 in Kentucky’s favor. I commend Kentucky. They competed really, really well. They played like a top-15 team. It was a neat moment for Amanda Taylor to get the fourth point against a really good opponent.”
The win was also important for the Commodores because it secures a bye in next week’s SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt will open up postseason play on Friday, April 18 against either the fifth seed or the 12 seed.
Vanderbilt dropped the doubles point for the first time since its March 7 match against Arkansas. Kentucky grabbed an early advantage at No. 1 as Carolina Escamilla and Christine Johnston defeated the 54th-ranked tandem of Amanda Taylor and Courtney Ulery 8-5.
On Court 2, the Kentucky duo of Megan Broderick and Alaina Trgovich jumped out to a commanding 6-0 lead. However, Vanderbilt’s Caroline Ferrell and Catherine Newman stormed back to win the next seven games to grab a 7-6 lead. The Wildcats fought back winning the next three games to take the match 9-7 and clinch the doubles point.
Kentucky closed out the sweep of the doubles matches at the No. 3 position as Whitney Spencer and Lauren Meier got past Taka Bertrand and Keilly Ulery 8-6.
The Wildcats extended their lead to 2-0 with a win at No. 6 singles. Meier defeated Ferrell in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-1.
Vanderbilt got on the board at No. 4 singles as No. 61 Courtney Ulery was about to defeat Alaina Trgovich 6-4, 6-4. The win improves Ulery’s dual match record to 15-6 and 5-6 in conference matches.
Bertrand got the Commodores even with a win at No. 3 singles. The Great Falls, Va., native defeated Kentucky’s Johnston 6-4, 7-5. With the win, Bertrand closes out the regular season with an 18-3 dual match record and a 9-2 mark in SEC matches.
“I was up 5-3 (in the second set) and then I got really nervous,” Bertrand said. “I was really struggling to break her serve. Fortunately, I got the break at 5-5 and was able to serve out the match. I didn’t want to go to a third set.”
On Court 2, No. 47 Newman gave Vanderbilt its first lead of the day. After losing the first set 6-2, Newman came back to only give up three games in the next two sets, winning 6-1, 6-2.
Playing in her last regular season home match, No. 23 Taylor secured the comeback win for Vanderbilt at No. 1 singles. Kentucky’s Broderick won the opening set 6-4. The Vanderbilt senior mounted an incredible comeback, winning the second set 6-4 and capturing the decisive third set 7-5 to seal the victory for the Commodores.
“It was really special to have a chance to clinch the match,” Taylor said. “More than anything, I was just thinking about my teammates and how hard they had fought. I never really felt all that great out there today. More than anything, it was about helping my team and fighting for them.”
Keilly Ulery closed out the match with a three-set victory at No. 5 singles. Ulery dropped the opening set 7-5, but came back to win the next two sets 6-1, 7-5. With the victory, Ulery improves to 9-2 in conference matches and 14-5 in dual match play.
Vanderbilt returns to action on Friday, April 18, at the SEC Tournament in Auburn, Ala.
Saturday’s Results:
No. 12 Vanderbilt 5 def. No. 23 Kentucky 2
Doubles:
1. Carolina Escamilla/Christine Johnston (UK) def. No. 54 Amanda Taylor/Courtney Ulery (VU) – 8-5
2. Megan Broderick/Alaina Trgovich (UK) def. Caroline Ferrell/Catherine Newman (VU) – 9-7
3. Whitney Spencer/Lauren Meier (UK) def. Taka Bertrand/Keilly Ulery (VU) – 8-6
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles:
1. No. 23 Amanda Taylor (VU) def. Megan Broderick (UK) – 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
2. No. 47 Catherine Newman (VU) def. Carolina Escamilla (UK) – 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
3. No. 96 Taka Bertrand (VU) def. Christine Johnston (UK) – 6-4, 7-5
4. No. 61 Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Alaina Trgovich (UK) – 6-4, 6-4
5. Keilly Ulery (VU) def. Whitney Spencer (UK) – 5-7, 6-1, 7-5
6. Lauren Meier (UK) def. Caroline Ferrell (VU) – 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 5
Updated Team Records: Vanderbilt (17-4, 7-4 SEC); Kentucky (14-8, 5-6 SEC)
