University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Kentucky
Lady Vols' Upset Falls Short in 4-3 Match
March 15, 2015 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Lady Vols (8-10, 0-6 SEC) nearly upset the No. 22 Kentucky Wildcats (12-6, 3-2) on Sunday at Barksdale Stadium, but their comeback fell just short at 4-3.
The Volunteers fought hard in this match. They won the doubles point and came back from being down 3-1 to tie things up at 3-3, leaving sophomore Laurence Guevremont against Kentucky's Kelsey Dieters on court 4 to determine the match.
It was a back-and-forth match as Dieters took the first set in a 10-8 tiebreaker. Guevremont answered in the second set by breaking serve a couple of times to win the set 6-4, coming down to a winner-takes-all third set. Guevremont quickly surged out to a 4-1 lead, but the four-hour match took its toll as Dieters went on to win five straight games to win 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-4 and clinch the match for the Wildcats.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the sophomore and her team, but there was nothing to be ashamed of in how they played. Co-head coach Mike Patrick was pleased with how his team performed despite the outcome.
"We talked as a team before the match, and we did everything we talked about except win," Patrick said after the match. "We had good energy. We were tough and played good tennis. We had great composure, and we fought out hearts out. Laurence came up a little bit short, but with what she has had to deal with this semester, I think she gave an unbelievable effort. I am proud of our kids. I know how hard they fought and how bad they wanted to win."
The day started off well for the Lady Vols as junior Tiffany Tavares and sophomore Victoria Olivarez won 8-1 over Dieters and Edmée Morin-Kougoucheff. Seniors Joanna Henderson and Caitlyn Williams clinched the doubles point for Tennessee, following an 8-3 victory over Mami Adachi and Adila Sutjiadi.
In singles, it was a slow start for the team as Kentucky quickly jumped out to a 3-1 lead with wins over Williams, Olivarez and sophomore Eve Repic. Tennessee's comeback began with Henderson, who lost the first set to No. 85 Nadia Ravita 6-3, bounced back with strong second and third sets to bring the match within one at 3-2. The win was also her second in a row over a ranked opponent. Tavares tied things up for the team after defeating Taylor Lederman 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-4.
"It was nice to have Caitlyn play today," Patrick said about his senior playing in the three spot. "She really helped a lot. She had a completive second set, and for someone who hasn't played or practiced a lot in singles, she is keeping up with some great players just on pure instinct. Tiffany had a good win today, and Joanna has had two quality wins in a row. We are going in the right direction, but we are just a hair short."
The Lady Vols will be back in action next Saturday at noon as they face the Georgia Bulldogs at Barksdale Stadium.
#22 Kentucky 4, Tennessee 3
Singles
1. Joanna Henderson, UT, def. #85 Nadia Ravita, UK, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Adila Sutjiadi, UK, def. Eve Repic, UT, 6-4, 6-3
3. #111 Mami Adachi, UK, def. Caitlyn Williams, UT, 6-0, 7-6 (2)
4. Kelsey Dieters, UK, def. Laurence Guevremont, UT, 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-4
5. Kirsten Lewis, UK, def. Victoria Olivarez, UT, 6-3, 6-3
6. Tiffany Tavares, UT, def. Taylor Lederman, UK, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-4
Doubles
1. #33 Henderson/Williams, UT, def. Adachi/Sutjiadi, UK, 8-3
2. Ravita/Lewis, UK, def. Repic/Guevremont, UT, 8-2
3. Tavares/Olivarez, UT, def. Morin/Dieters, UK, 8-1
Order of Finish Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (5, 2, 3, 1, 6, 4)
