NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 35 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team defeated No.32 LSU 5-2 in Nashville Sunday afternoon.
The Commodores (10-5, 4-0) swept the doubles point and earned wins at Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 6 to seal the upset over the Tigers (6-5, 1-3).
Freshman Catherine Newman was the first to finish at No. 3, holding LSU’s Staten Spencer to two games through two sets (6-0, 6-2). The win is Newman’s tenth in 2007 and 22nd overall for the 2006-07 season.
Amanda Fish battled LSU’s Megan Falcon, who boasts the runner-up rank nationally, at No. 1. After pulling ahead 5-4 in the second set, Fish surrendered her lead and dropped the contest 7-5. The win was LSU’s first victory of the afternoon.
Liberty Sveke followed with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 6 over Anastasia Dubova. With the win Sveke improved her conference record to 4-0.
After falling behind 4-1, Vandy’s Amanda Taylor regrouped to defeat Mykala Hedberg 6-4 in the first set. Taylor went up 5-2 in the second, but Hedberg rallied to fall just one game behind (5-4). Taylor then took the set win 6-4 to clinch the Commodore win.
Taka Bertrand followed with a win at No. 4 over Tiger Nicole Kantor, while Vandy sophomore Courtney Ulery dropped her fist SEC contest of the season to Hannah Robinson in three sets.
The Commodores will break from conference play to face Texas A&M on Tuesday, March 13 at 1 p.m.
RESULTS
3/11/07
Vanderbilt 5, LSU 2
Singles
1. #2 Megan Falcon (LSU) d. #35 Amanda Fish (VU) 6-4, 7-5
2. #32 Amanda Taylor (VU) d. Mykala Hedberg (LSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. #49 Catherine Newman (VU) d. Staten Spencer (LSU) 6-0, 6-2
4. #103 Taka Bertrand (VU) d. Nicole Kantor (LSU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Hannah Robinson (LSU) d. Courtney Ulery (VU) 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
6. Liberty Sveke (VU) d. Anastasia Dubova (LSU) 6-3, 6-3 Order of finish: 3, 1, 6, 2*, 4, 5
Doubles
1. Taylor/Fish (VU) d. Falcon/Robinson (LSU) 8-4
2. Bertrand/Newman (VU) d. Hedberg/Spencer (LSU) 8-4
3. Ulery/Sveke (VU) d. Dubova/Tucker (LSU) 8-4
