AUBURN, Ala. – After dropping the first set, Vanderbilt’s Heather Steinbauer closed the match in a flurry winning the second and third set 6-0, 6-1, to clinch the match and give the Commodores a 4-3 win over Auburn Friday. The win over the Tigers snaps a two-match losing streak for the Commodores and gives them their 18th consecutive win over Auburn.
Vanderbilt (6-5, 2-2 SEC) won the doubles point for the second consecutive dual as VU posted wins at the second and third doubles positions. Vanderbilt’s second and third teams of Catherine Newman and Chelsea Preeg and Courtney and Keilly Ulery breezed through their doubles matches, winning 8-1 in both matches. It marked the second consecutive doubles win for the Ulery sisters this week.
The ‘Dores came close swept the doubles point from the Tigers (9-6, 2-2 SEC) as Jackie Wu and Steinbauer fell 8-7 (7-2) to Auburn’s senior duo of Whitney Chappell and Alex Haney.
Courtney Ulery expanded Vanderbilt’s lead to 2-0 by notching up her second singles win in three days with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Auburn’s Jil Hastenrath at the number six singles.
Auburn tied the match up at 2-2 after registering singles wins at the top two singles slots before Vanderbilt retook the lead when Preeg defeated Myrthe Molenveld in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Steinbauer put the match away with an impressive three set win over Daniela Vukadinovic, giving the Commodores its second SEC win of the season.
Vanderbilt returns to the friendly confines of the Currey Tennis Center this Sunday to square off against 17th-ranked Alabama at noon.
No. 26 Vanderbilt 4, No. 31 Auburn 3
Singles
1. No. 8 Fani Chifchieva (AU) def. No. 61 Catherine Newman (VU) 6-3, 6-3
2. No. 32 Alex Haney (AU) def. No. 64 Jackie Wu (VU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Whitney Chappell (AU) def. No. 112 Keilly Ulery (VU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
4. Chelsea Preeg (VU) def. Myrthe Molenveld (AU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Heather Steinbauer (VU) def. Daniela Vukadinoic (AU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
6. Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Jil Hastenrath (AU) 6-3, 6-0
order of finish: 6, 2, 1, 4, 5, 3
Doubles
1. No. 44 Chappell / Haney (AU) def. Steinbauer / Wu (VU) 8-7 (7-2)
2. Newman / Preeg (VU) def. Chifchieva / Molenveld (AU) 8-1
3. Ulery, C. / Ulery, K. (VU) def. Bybee / Hastenrath (AU) 8-1
order of finish: 2, 3, 1
