KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the fifth year in a row, the No. 2 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team advances to the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals, defeating No. 36 Texas A&M 4-1 at the Barksdale Tennis Center.
Prior to first serve, Vanderbilt received its 2018 SEC Regular Season trophy.
Your 2018 SEC Regular Season Champions! #FightDores #SECWT18 pic.twitter.com/YvoIauLgMG
— Vandy Women’s Tennis (@Vandywtennis) April 20, 2018
The top-seeded Commodores opened up Friday’s quarterfinal match, taking the one-point advantage in a closely contested doubles point. Vanderbilt altered its doubles lineup, but the shift did not stop the Dores from taking their 16th doubles point of the season.
Vanderbilt’s Christina Rosca and Amanda Meyer limited Arkansas’ Riley McQuaid and Iulia Ivascu to one game the entire match, taking a 6-1 victory on court three. With the victory, Rosca/Meyer extend their winning streak to seven matches and sit undefeated since March 9.
Tatiana Makarova and Macarena Olivares leveled the tandems opportunity, after a neck-and-neck competition on court two. Down 5-6, No. 58 Emma Kurtz and Emily Smith pushed for a tiebreaker, however the Aggies pulled off the victory taking the final two points of the breaker for the win, 7-6(8).
Unranked Fernanda Contreras and Summer Dvorak earned a ranked win while competing on court one. Accustomed to playing at No. 3 doubles, the Dore duo defeated No. 59 Eva Paalma and Domenica Gonzalez by clinching the match in a tiebreaker, 7-6(4).
Texas A&M flipped a switch in singles play, earning large leads on predominately every court but one. However, the Commodores rallied to take five of six first sets.
Meyer was first off the court for the black and gold, earning a 6-3, 6-1 victory on court four for the 2-0 Vanderbilt lead. Meyer now owns a three-match winning streak on court four and her first SEC Tournament victory. The Aggies earned their lone point of the day on court six. Ivascu defeated Smith in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1.
Down 1-3 in the first set, Dvorak worked to level her match on court five to 4-all. The junior earned key points in each game and walked away with the opening set over Makarova 7-5. Dvorak earned the Dores’ their third point of the outing, breezing through her second set, 6-3.
Ranked seventh in the country, Contreras earned the day’s comeback victory award. The junior powered back into her match after falling in the first set to No. 75 Olivares, 6-2. The Austin, Texas native flew through the second set, 6-1, to force a spotless final set, clinching the quarterfinal match 2-6, 6-1, 6-0.
At the clinch, Astra Sharma led on court one 5-0 in the second set, while Rosca trailed by one game on court three, 4-5 in the second set.
Vanderbilt will face the winner of Friday night’s Georgia and Ole Miss matchup. Semifinal play begins Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
