LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 19th-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team closed out the regular season in a positive fashion as they swept Kentucky 7-0 at the Boone Tennis Complex in Lexington Saturday. The Commodores (10-7, 6-4 SEC) won all six singles matches after winning two of the three doubles matches for the convincing sweep. VU has now won seven consecutive duals with the Wildcats.
The 7-0 win is the largest victory over Kentucky since the Commodores swept the Wildcats on April 14, 2002.
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after they took two of three doubles matches from the Wildcats. VU’s pair of Catherine Newman and Chelsea Preeg picked up their eighth win of the season with a convincing 8-3 win over UK’s team of Megan Broderick and Christine Johnston. Newman and Preeg finish the regular season 5-5 in the SEC while competing at No. 2 doubles. VU’s Courtney and Keilly Ulery were victorious for seventh time in nine matches as they knocked off Kentucky’s duo of Lauren Meier and Whitney Spencer, clinching the doubles point for the Commodores.
Leading 1-0 after the doubles point, Vanderbilt went on cruise control as freshman Heather Steinbauer and Newman notched straight set victories over its respected opponent, pushing the Commodores lead to 3-0. Steinbauer improved to 19-7 overall and 8-1 in the SEC while Newman improved to 19-15 overall and 7-10 in dual play.
Holding a 3-0 lead with four matches remaining, VU freshman standout Jackie Wu defeated No. 104 Megan Broderick in consecutive sets, 6-4, 6-3 and clinching the match for the Commodores. It marked the ninth time this season that Wu has defeated a ranked opponent in singles. The Holmdel, N.J. native improves to 26-9 overall and 11-5 in dual play.
With the match already in hand the Commodores were not done as Keilly Ulery and Chelsea Preeg battled back from dropping their first sets to take the final two stanzas for the win. After losing the first set 1-6, the younger Ulery found her groove as she won 6-3, 6-3 in the final two sets for her sixth win in dual play. Preeg’s three set comeback win over UK’s Christine Johnston gave the Commodores a 6-0 lead against the Wildcats. Preeg improves her singles mark to 25-9 overall and 7-3 in the SEC.
Vanderbilt’s Courtney Ulery gave the ‘Dores the official sweep with a three-set win over Jennifer Stone in the final singles match of the day.
The No.19 Commodores will be in action next as they travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the 2009 SEC Women’s Tennis Championships. Vanderbilt has clinched the No. 5 seed in the tournament and they will face-off against the No. 12 seed, Mississippi State at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 23. Live stats of next week’s SEC Tournament will be available via vucommodores.com.
It marks the 12th-season in a row that the Vanderbilt women’s tennis program has finished in the top-five of the SEC during the regular season, with all of them coming under the guidance of current head coach Geoff Macdonald.
No. 19 Vanderbilt 7, No. 24 Kentucky 0
Singles Results
1. No. 61 Catherine Newman (VU) def. Carolina Escamilla (UK) 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 54 Jackie Wu (VU) def. No. 104 Megan Broderick (UK) 6-4, 6-3
3. No. 123 Keilly Ulery (VU) def. Lauren Meier (UK) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. Chelsea Preeg (VU) def. Christine Johnston (UK) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Heather Steinbauer (VU) def. Caroline Lilley (UK) 6-0, 6-2
6. Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Jennifer Stone (UK) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-4
order of finish: 5, 1, 2*, 3, 4, 6
Doubles Results
1. No. 47 Escamilla / Lilley (UK) def. No. 45 Steinbauer / Wu (VU) 8-7 (7-3)
2. Newman / Preeg (VU) def. Broderick / Johnston (UK) 8-3
3. Ulery, C. / Ulery, K. (VU) def. Meier / Spencer (UK) 8-5
order of finish: 2, 3, 1
