EVANSTON, Ill. – The No. 15 Vanderbilt women’s tennis picked up its first true road win of the season, Sunday, knocking off No. 16 Northwestern, 5-2, at the Combe Tennis Center. Frances Altick clinched the match at No. 4 singles, winning 6-3, 6-1.
Vanderbilt improves to 3-0, with all three wins coming against teams ranked in the top 20.
The Commodores had no problems winning the doubles point. Ashleigh Antal and Lauren Mira teamed up at No. 1 doubles and took down 35th-ranked Veronica Corning and Alicia Barnett, 6-2. Then it was Courtney Colton and Marie Casares who clinched the point at No. 2 doubles, winning 6-2, as well.
Northwestern picked up two points with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singes, though the point at No. 2 didn’t come easy. Vandy’s Colton, split after dropping the first set to No. 105 Belinda Niu, 2-6. In the third-set tiebreak Niu just barely pulled it out over Colton, winning 12-10.
Despite dropping both matches at the top of their lineup, the Commodores bottom four singles players were able to take care of business.
48th-ranked Georgina Sellyn was the first to pick up a win, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. It was then Casares who got the win at No. 5 to extend the Vandy lead to 3-1. Altick then clinched the match with her win at No. 4, three and one, over NU’s Sze Leung.
Casares and Altick have been dominant for the Commodores this spring. The two have combined to win all 11 sets played in dual matches, and have won 21 of 22 sets so far in 2014.
Up next on the schedule for the Commodores is the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, in Charlottesville, Va., from February 7-10.
#15 Vanderbilt 5, #16 Northwestern 2
Singles competition:
1. Veronica Corning (NU) def. #61 Lauren Mira (VU) 6-1, 6-2
2. #105 Belinda Niu (NU) def. Courtney Colton (VU) 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10)
3. #48 Georgina Sellyn (VU) def. Alicia Barnett (NU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Frances Altick (VU) def. Lok Sze Leung (NU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Marie Casares (VU) def. Jillian Rooney (NU) 6-2, 6-3
6. #102 Ashleigh Antal (VU) def. Manon Peri (NU) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition:
1. Ashleigh Antal/Lauren Mira (VU) def. #35 Veronica Corning/Alicia Barnett (NU) 6-2
2. Courtney Colton/Marie Casares (VU) def. Maddie Lipp/Nida Hamilton (NU) 6-2
3. Georgina Sellyn/Frances Altick (VU) def. Brooke Rischbieth/Belinda Niu (NU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Vanderbilt 3-0; National ranking #15
Northwestern 2-1; National ranking #16
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,5,4,6,2)
Official: John Coleman T-3:10 A-118
