OXFORD, Miss. – No. 25 Vanderbilt advanced to the championship match, after defeating No. 27 Illinois, 4-1,
Saturday in the ITA Kick-Off at the Gillom Sports Center.
The Commodores (1-0) will play No. 28 Yale, Monday afternoon at 1 p.m., while Illinois (2-3) and Ole Miss will play in the consolation match.
Ashleigh Antal and Marie Casares started the day with a win in No. 2 doubles over Illinois’ Breanne Smutko and Audrey O’Connor, 8-4. The duo is now 10-2 in doubles matches this season and 1-0 in dual play.
Playing in the No. 1 doubles match, Vanderbilt’s Lauren Mira and Courtney Colton had the tough task of playing against the 11th-ranked duo in the country, Rachael White and Melissa Kopinski. The Commodore pair was unfazed by the high ranking, as Colton and Mira won the match, 8-5. The win clinched the doubles point for Vanderbilt, giving the Commodores a 1-0 lead going into singles.
Colton then continued her strong play in singles. In the No. 2 position, the Davie, Fla., native upset No. 59 Allison Falkin, 6-0, 6-3, to give Vanderbilt a 2-0 lead. The win improved Colton’s record to 11-3 on the season.
Mira extended the Commodores’ lead to 3-0 after her win in the No. 3 singles over the Fighting Illini’s Rachael White, 6-3, 6-2. After dropping the first three games in the first set, Mira dominated the rest of the way.
Illinois got on the board after a win No. 1 singles. No. 106 (Melissa) Kopinski defeated Casares, 7-6(4), 6-1. However, the victory for Illinois was short-lived, as Frances Altick would clinch the win for Vanderbilt with her victory in the No. 5 singles position. Altick defeated Julia Jamieson in two sets, 6-0, 6-1.
The winner of tomorrow’s championship match will advance to the ITA National Indoor Championship in Charlottesville, Va., Feb. 8-11.
Singles Results
1. No.106 Melissa Kopinski (Illinois) def. No.91 Marie Casares (Vandy) 7-6(4), 6-1
2. No. 102 Courtney Colton (Vanderbilt) def. No. 59 Allison Falkin (Illinois) 6-0, 6-3
3. Lauren Mira (Vanderbilt) def. Rachael White (Illinois) 6-3, 6-2
4. Georgina Sellyn (Vanderbilt) vs. Misia Kedzierski (Illinois) 7-6(13-11), unfinished
5. No. 115 Frances Altick (Vanderbilt) def. Julia Jamieson (Illinois) 6-0, 6-1
6. Ashleigh Antal (Vanderbilt) vs. Audrey O’Connor (Illinois) 7-6(4), unfinished
Doubles Results
1. Colton/Mira (Vanderbilt) def. No. 11 White/Kopinski (Illinois) 8-5
2. Antal/Casares (Vanderbilt) def. Smutko/O’Connor (Illinois) 8-4
3. Falkin/Kedzierski (Illinois) vs. Altick/Sellyn (Vanderbilt) 7-5, unfinished
