ATHENS, Ga. – Rachael Dillon and Hannah Blatt registered singles wins for the second straight day but it wasn’t enough to get past third-seeded Tennessee Friday, as the Lady Vols snapped the Commodores three-match winning streak with a 4-2 setback in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
With the loss, No. 29 Vanderbilt fell to 13-9 overall while 13th-ranked Tennessee improved to 15-7 overall.
VU was put in an early hole when it dropped matches at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Tennessee’s 11th-ranked duo of Cailtin Whoriskey and Maria Sorbello took down VU’s Chelsea Preeg and Jackie Wu while Rosalia Alda and Zsofia Zubor defeated Erica Robertson and Catherine Newman on court two. VU’s No. 3 team of Hannah Blatt and Rachael Dillon trailed Natalie Pluskota and Jennifer Meredith 6-5 when play was suspended.
In singles play, the Commodores quickly tied the match at one when Blatt breezed past Katie Lee in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 6 position. With the win, Blatt improved to 24-12 overall and 14-4 in dual play. The Nashville, Tenn., native has now won eight of her last nine matches.
With the match tied at 1-1, Tennessee extended its lead to 2-1 when ninth-ranked Whoriskey edged 28th-ranked Newman, 7-6, 6-3 at No. 1. Newman defeated the two-time All-American in their previous meeting on March 12.
Tennessee added to its lead, when Zsofia Zubor outlasted Keilly Ulery in three sets at the No. 4 position. Ulery jumped out to an early lead after taking the first set 6-4, before falling 6-3 in the second and 6-2 in the third.
With Vanderbilt trailing 3-1, Dillon moved the Commodores within a point of tying the match when she registered a three-set comeback win over Meredith at No. 5. After dropping the first set 6-4, the Dublin, Ireland native found her stroke in the second and third sets, closing the match out with a 6-4, 7-6 win, making the score 3-2.
Minutes later, UT’s Alda edged Preeg in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to clinch the match for the Lady Vols.
Vanderbilt will now turn its attention to Tuesday, May 4 when the brackets for the 2010 NCAA Tournament are revealed. Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will take place on May 5.
No. 13 Tennessee 4, No. 29 Vanderbilt 2
April 23, 2010 – Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Singles
1. No. 9 Caitlin Whoriskey (UT) def. No. 28 Catherine Newman (VU) 7-6, 6-3
2. No. 58 Maria Sorbello (UT) vs. No. 30 Jackie Wu (VU) 6-3, 3-6, 4-2, unfinished
3. Rosalia Alada (UT) def. No. 88 Chelsea Preeg (VU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
4. Zsofia Zubor (UT) def. Keilly Ulery (VU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Rachael Dillon (VU) def. Jennifer Meredith (UT) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
6. Hannah Blatt (VU) def. Katie Lee (UT) 6-1, 6-1
Order of Finish: (6, 1, 4, 5, 3*)
Doubles
1. No. 11 Whoriskey / Sorbello (UT) def. No. 34 Wu / Preeg (VU) 8-0
2. No. 24 Alda / Zubor (UT) def. Robertson / Newman (VU) 8-3
3. Pluskota / Meredith (UT) vs. Blatt / Dillon (VU) UT led 6-5 DNF
Order of Finish: (1, 2)
Match Notes
Tennessee improved to 15-7
Vanderbilt fell to 13-9
