TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team closed out the fall season on a positive note as they won six of eight singles matches at the final day of the SEC Fall Coaches Classic. Chelsea Preeg and Hannah Blatt finished the weekend with an undefeated singles record of 3-0 en route to winning its respected brackets.
After dropping the first set 2-6, Preeg regrouped to win the second and third sets for the blue draw title over Alabama’s Shelley Godwin. With the win, Preeg closes the fall season out with an 11-2 mark.
Blatt defeated an SEC opponent for the third consecutive day as she routed Auburn’s Heather Bybee 6-2, 6-2. The win over Bybee gives the Nashville, Tenn., native her eighth win of the fall.
Freshman Erica Robertson pushed her fall mark to 7-4 Saturday with a straight set win over Mississippi State’s Jordan Zachary, 6-1, 6-2. Fellow freshman Jackie Wu and Heather Steinbauer closed out the fall campaign with singles wins of their own by knocking off their respected opponents in three sets. Wu defeated Arkansas’ 46th ranked Ela Kaluder in a long three set match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, while Steinbauer topped Mimi Renaudin of Ole Miss, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. The win gives Wu her team-high 13th win of the fall and fourth over a top-100 player. Steinbauer closes out the fall with a 7-2 mark.
Senior Courtney Ulery improved to 2-1 on the weekend as she defeated Alabama’s Meritt Emery in the consolation final in consecutive sets, 6-3, 6-3.
In doubles action the Commodore duo of Keilly Ulery and Blatt won for the second time in as many days as they defeated the Auburn pair of Bybee and Daniela Vuckadinovic 8-3.
The SEC Fall Coaches Classic puts a wrap on the Commodores fall season. The `Dores will open up the spring slate Jan. 17-19 as it travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Michigan Invitational.
SINGLES
Crimson Draw – Singles
Jackie Wu (VU) def. Ela Kaluder (Arkansas) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
White Draw – Singles
Alex Haney (Auburn) def. Catherine Newman (VU) default
Gold Draw – Singles
Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Meritt Emery (Alabama), 6-3, 6-3
Silver Draw – Singles
Paulina Bigos (Alabama) def. Keilly Ulery (VU), 6-1, 6-4
Bronze Draw – Singles
Heather Steinbauer (VU) def. Mimi Renaudin (Mississippi), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Blue Draw – Singles
Chelsea Preeg (VU) def. Shelley Godwin (Alabama), 2-6, 6-0, 6-3
Green Draw – Singles
Hannah Blatt (VU) def. Heather Bybee (Auburn), 6-2, 6-2
Erica Robertson (VU) def. Jordan Zachary (Mississippi State), 6-1, 6-2
DOUBLES
Crimson Draw – Doubles
McLane/Lindsey (Alabama) def. C. Ulery/Preeg (VU), 8-5
White Draw – Doubles
Chappell/Hastenrath (Auburn) def. Newman/Wu (VU), 8-5
Gold Draw – Doubles
Emery/Tunaru (Alabama) def. Steinbauer/Robertson (VU) 8-3
Blatt/K. Ulery (VU) def. Bybee/Vuckadinovic (Auburn) 8-3
Note: Saturday’s White Draw
Newman/Wu (VU) def. Schofield/Miller (South Carolina) 8-3
