ATHENS, Ga. – Trailing 1-0 after the doubles point, Vanderbilt tried to stage an uphill comeback with the nation’s second-rated team but came up on the short end as Georgia defeated No. 17 Vanderbilt 4-0 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex Friday night. The loss to Georgia ends Vanderbilt’s four-match SEC winning streak as they fall to 9-6 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, while Georgia improves to 18-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play.
The match was suspended due to severe weather in the Athens area after Georgia clinched the match, giving them a 4-0 decision. The match was delayed 39 minutes during singles play due to a tornado warning. After the storm had passed the match was moved indoors.
Vanderbilt fell behind 1-0 after UGA captured two of the three doubles matches from the Commodores. VU’s tandem of Courtney and Keilly Ulery defeated UGA’s team of Cameron Ellis and Naoko Ueshima 7-6, winning the tiebreaker 7-3. With the win, the Ulery sisters improve to 9-2 in dual play and 6-2 against the SEC.
Georgia pushed its lead to 2-0 after ninth-ranked Chelsey Gullickson topped VU’s Catherine Newman in straight sets for her team-high 29th singles win of the season. It marked the sixth time this season that Newman has played an opponent ranked inside the top-10. UGA added to its lead when Yvette Hyndman and Nadja Gilchrist defeated Jackie Wu and Keilly Ulery at the second and third singles positions, respectively. Although the match was called after Georgia clinched the fourth point, the remaining three matches were very tight as Vanderbilt had the upper hand in two of the three.
VU’s Chelsea Preeg was tied 1-1 in the third set with UGA Monika Dancevic while Heather Steinbauer and Courtney Ulery led their opponents when the match was called. Steinbauer held a 1-0 lead in the third set after splitting the first two sets with UGA’s Uechima, while Courtney Ulery was up a set on Ellis, leading 7-5, 2-2 when the match was called.
The Commodores will wrap up the weekend with a dual showdown at No. 13 Tennessee in Knoxville. The Lady Vols (14-4, 7-2 SEC) defeated 23rd-ranked Kentucky 7-0 Friday afternoon in Knoxville. Sunday’s match with Tennessee proves to be a pivotal dual between two teams vying for second place in the SEC East.
Live stats of the match with the Commodores and UT will be available via vucommodores.com or by .
No. 2 Georgia 4, No. 17 Vanderbilt 0
Singles Results
1. No. 9 Chelsey Gullickson (UGA) def. No. 62 Catherine Newman (VU) 6-1, 6-2
2. No. 34 Yvette Hyndman (UGA) def. No. 57 Jackie Wu (VU) 6-2, 6-3
3. No. 50 Nadja Gilchrist (UGA) def. Keilly Ulery (VU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Chelsea Preeg (VU) vs. No. 81 Monika Dancevic (UGA) 6-2, 0-6, 1-1, unfinished
5. Heather Steinbauer (VU) vs. Naoko Ueshima (UGA) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0, unfinished
6. Courtney Ulery (VU) vs. Cameron Ellis (UGA) 7-5, 2-2, unfinished
order of finish: 1, 3, 2*
Doubles Results
1. No. 37 Gullickson / Gilchrist (UGA) def. No. 49 Steinbauer / Wu (VU) 8-1
2. Dancevic / Hyndman (UGA) def. Newman / Preeg (VU) 8-3
3. Ulery, C. / Ulery, K. (VU) def. Ellis / Ueshima (UGA) 7-6 (7-3)
order of finish: 1, 2, 3
