NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team concluded a successful day one at the June Stewart Invitational, winning five of six singles matches.
“I thought singles were really, really good,” Vanderbilt head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “I was disappointed we lost a couple of close doubles matches. We’re learning a lot about what we need to do to get better in doubles. I was really pleased with the singles effort.”
Freshman Keilly Ulery had an impressive win in singles, defeating Carolina Escamilla from Kentucky. Ulery lost the first set 6-4, but bounced back to win the next two sets in convincing fashion 6-1, 6-1.
“Escamilla is quite a talented player,” Macdonald said. “It would have been an easy match for her (Ulery) to get disheartened after the first set, especially as a freshman. She went the other way and got a really tough win.”
Junior Courtney Ulery continued her perfect fall season, improving to 7-0, with a win over Elizma Schoonees of UT Martin. Ulery won the match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.
“We’re looking for Courtney to just keep getting better,” Macdonald said. “I like what I see with her a lot.”
No. 20 Amanda Taylor won her first-round match in singles, dispatching of Indiana’s Charlotte Martin in straight sets 6-0, 6-3. Fellow senior Caroline Ferrell also claimed victory in the opening round of singles, winning a three-set match against Brianna Williams from Indiana. Ferrell lost the opening set 7-6 (7-5), but rebounded to win the next two sets 6-0, 6-2.
Liberty Sveke recorded the fifth win for the Commodores in singles, defeating Martie Wahl from UT Martin 7-5, 6-2. Katie Kilborn suffered the only loss for Vanderbilt in singles, falling 6-0, 6-0 to Stephanie Heller of Indiana.
In doubles, the team of Ferrell and Kilborn won a pair of matches. The duo defeated Sarah Leavy and Belisa De Brito from UT Martin 9-7 in their first match, and defeated Heller and Martin from Indiana 9-7 in the second match.
Sveke and Keilly Ulery split a pair of matches, defeating Stephanie Parkison and Elvira Yusupova from Middle Tennessee State 8-4. Sveke and Ulery fell to Kentucky’s Megan Broderick and Lauren Meier 9-8 (7-3) in their second match of the day.
The tandem of Taylor and Courtney Ulery also split a pair of matches, winning in the first match 8-5 over Jessica Leitch and Micaela Hein of Arizona State, and falling in the second match 8-6 to Escamilla and Christine Johnson of Kentucky.
Action in the June Stewart Invitational continues tomorrow with two rounds of doubles and one round of singles.
Day One Results:
Singles Play:
No. 20 Amanda Taylor (VU) def. Charlotte Martin (IU) – 6-0, 6-3
Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Elizma Schoonees (UTM) – 6-1, 6-0
Keilly Ulery (VU) def. Carolina Escamilla (UK) – 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Caroline Ferrell (VU) def. Brianna Williams (IU) – 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 6-2
Liberty Sveke (VU) def. Martie Wahl (UTM) – 7-5, 6-2
Stephanie Heller (IU) def. Katie Kilborn (VU) – 6-0, 6-0
Doubles Play:
Sveke/K. Ulery (VU) def. Parkison/Yusupova (MTSU) – 8-4
Broderick/Meier (UK) def. Sveke/K. Ulery (VU) – 9-8 (7-3)
No. 21 Taylor/C. Ulery (VU) def. Leitch/Hein (ASU) – 8-5
Escamilla/Johnson (UK) def. Taylor/C. Ulery (VU) – 8-6
Ferrell/Kilborn (VU) def. Leavy/De Bebrito (UTM) – 9-7
Ferrell/Kilborn (VU) def. Heller/Martin (IU) – 9-7
