NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In one of the closest matches this season, the No. 6 Commodores outlasted No.12 Auburn in a competitive 4-3 match to remain unbeaten at home and hold their spot at No. 3 in the SEC standings. Courtney Colton clinched the victory on court four for the fifth time this season.
“First of all I salute Auburn on an incredible effort,” said head coach Geoff Macdonald. “They were just a whisker away from winning the match. They played a really spirited, good match. We knew they were going to be a good team, and I had a feeling that it was going to be a 4-3, so I have compassion for them.”
“We didn’t play well, but we competed really well. Courtney (Colton) winning that last match the way she did is kind of emblematic of kind of what we try to do as a team, which is hang around and make them beat you… and she did a really good job under tremendous duress, keeping her head on and competing. I’m just really happy for her as a senior to come trough after being down 4-1 in the third in front of a great crowd like this.”
Auburn started the match by clinching the doubles point for the early lead. AU’s Dikosavljevic/Griffin took the first victory of the outing with a comfortable 6-2 defeat over Frances Altick and Astra Sharma on court two.
Fernanda Contreras and Georgina Sellyn then tied the doubles point at 1-1 for the Commodores, with a 6-2 win of their own over de Man/Turner on court three. In an ITA Top-25 showdown, No. 17 Michaud/Burgmans clinched the doubles point for the Tigers by upsetting No. 11 Colton and Sydney Campbell, 6-3, on court one.
Vanderbilt regrouped in singles play to take four first sets and a 3-1 lead, which was kicked off with Sellyn turning in a dominant 6-1, 6-1 performance on court five over Paula de Man. The victory was the redshirt-junior’s 10th of the spring.
Contreras followed Sellyn’s outing with a commanding win of her own by defeating Caroline Turner 6-1, 6-2. The freshman helped Vanderbilt take a 2-1 lead, all while continuing her undefeated 8-0 SEC mark on court six.
No. 21 Astra Sharma cemented Vanderbilt’s 3-1 lead with a defeat over No. 94 Pleun Burgmans in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 on court three. The Aussie has not lost on court three this season, now boasting an 8-0 (5-0) record.
Trailing 3-1, Auburn rallied to tie the match, 3-all, by winning the next two matches on courts two and one.
No. 38 Alizee Michaud upset No. 13 Altick for her first loss of the entire season in a hard fought 6-4, 6-4 battle. No. 26 Andie Dikosavljevic tied the match with a win over No. 29 Campbell, first taking the first set tiebreaker 7-6(4) and completing the win, 6-2, in the second set.
For the second match in a row, eyes rested on Colton. After taking the paramount first set tiebreaker, 7-6(5), the Davie, Fla. native dropped the second 6-4 to split. In the match decider, the senior was down 4-1 to Griffin only to take five games in a row to clinch the match.
“I didn’t think much about clinching or winning,” said Colton. “I just tried to get some momentum back on my side by cutting down on my errors and making my opponent outplay me. Our coaches just tried to keep me thinking one point at a time and just keeping my decisions simple.”
“It’s really cool and exciting to clinch one of my final matches here. My first few years I struggled to get the clinch at 3-3, so it’s a great feeling to get some for the team now as a senior.”
The Commodores cap off the regular season at home this Sunday, hosting the No. 62 Alabama Crimson Tide. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 pm, but fans should get to Currey early, as the team will be honoring its four seniors; Colton, Altick, Ellie Yates and Maggie Leavell.
“I’ve done this along time,” said Macdonald, “and this class is a special, extraordinary class, that changed the team’s culture. When they came in practices got better, the spirit of the whole enterprise lifted… and I think the older ones were shocked at their enthusiasm and energy and how hard they competed. I remember Frances and Courtney playing a practice set like it was World War Three, and it was great because their competitive drive showed where we were heading and how we have to be. We’re just so happy and proud of all four of them and look forward to Sunday.”
