ATHENS, Ga. – After clinching the doubles point and taking two singles matches, the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team was unable to stop the Georgia singles attack and fell 4-3 to the ITA’s fifth-ranked Bulldogs.
The contest marks Vandy’s (14-6, 7-1) first conference loss of 2007 and the end of a twelve-match win streak.
The intense doubles round set the tone for the entire contest, which lasted just over five hours due to facility limitation as a result of inclement weather.
Vanderbilt sophomores Courtney Ulery and Liberty Sveke’s 12-match win streak was snapped by Natalie Frazier and Naoka Ueshima at No. 3. Commodores Taka Bertrand and Catherine Newman kept Vanderbilt in contention for the doubles point by silencing UGA opponents at No. 2 8-2. The VU tandem is now 15-2 in dual match play and 8-0 in the SEC.
The two lop-sided doubles pro sets resulted in a thrilling clinching battle at No. 1. Despite the UGA Senior Day festivities and extra fan attendance, Vandy’s Amanda Taylor and Amanda Fish pulled off a 9-7 upset over 14th-ranked Yvette Hyndman and Darya Ivanov to put the Commodores ahead 1-0 going into singles.
The two Commodore singles wins were notched by Catherine Newman at No. 3 and Taka Bertrand at No. 4.
Freshman Newman’s 6-3, 7-5 win over Yvette Hyndman was her sixth conference straight set win of the season and 14th overall singles win in 2007. Bertrand maintained her undefeated conference record in doubles and singles with her 6-3, 7-5 win over Kelley Hyndman.
Amanda Fish and Amanda Taylor were unable to top Bulldog competitors at the top of the lineup. In 2006, Fish defeated sixth-ranked Natalie Frazier twice (once during regular season play and once during the NCAA tournament), but fell 6-2, 6-0 on Sunday in Athens. Taylor’s spectacular 15-match win streak ended against Monika Dancevic at No. 2, marking only her third loss of 2007.
The Commodores were clinging to a 3-2 lead as the competition at Nos. 5 and 6 began. UGA’s Darya Ivanov and Naoko Ueshima topped VU’s Courtney Ulery and Liberty Sveke to seal UGA’s 4-3 win.
Vanderbilt will continue with SEC play on Friday in Nashville, facing third-ranked Florida at 2:30 p.m., followed by 32nd-ranked South Carolina on Sunday at noon.
Match Results:
#5 Georgia 4, #21 Vanderbilt 3
Singles competition
1. #6 Natalie Frazier (UGA) def. #32 Amanda Fish (VU) 6-2, 6-0
2. #36 Monika Dancevic (UGA) def. #33 Amanda Taylor (VU) 7-6, 6-2
3. #34 Catherine Newman (VU) def. #58 Yvette Hyndman (UGA) 6-3, 7-5
4. #102 Taka Bertrand (VU) def. Kelley Hyndman (UGA) 6-4, 6-1
5. #78 Darya Ivanov (UGA) def. Courtney Ulery (VU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Naoko Ueshima (UGA) def. Liberty Sveke (VU) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #26 Amanda Fish/Amanda Taylor (VU) def. #14 Yvette Hyndman/Darya Ivanov (UGA) 9-7
2. Taka Bertrand/Catherine Newman (VU) def. #30 Monika Dancevic/Kelley Hyndman (UGA) 8-2
3. Natalie Frazier/Naoko Ueshima (UGA) def. Liberty Sveke/Courtney Ulery (VU) 8-1
