No. 18 Lady Vols Down Alabama, Win Fourth Straight SEC Match

Sunday, March 31

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

12:00 PM

University of Tennessee

Alabama

KNOXVILLE, TN - 2019.03.24 - Tennessee vs. Ole Miss

Photo by: Sarah Keller/Tennessee Athletics

No. 18 Lady Vols Down Alabama, Win Fourth Straight SEC Match

March 31, 2019 | Women's Tennis

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The 18^th-ranked Tennessee women's team won its fourth straight conference match Sunday afternoon, defeating Alabama to cap off a perfect weekend, 4-1.

The Lady Vols' four straight SEC victories mark the first streak of that variety since 2011. Additionally, Tennessee (16-5, 6-3 SEC) has won two straight SEC road matches for the first time since 2015 after also defeating Auburn on Friday, 4-2.

"Win or lose, we try to learn something from every match we play," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "After Friday's match, our team agreed that we had more energy to give.

"Today, we came out full of fire and energy, and I'm so proud of the girls for executing on the goal they set for themselves."

Using momentum from winning the doubles point, the Lady Vols defeated Alabama (14-9, 3-6) in three of four completed singles matches.

Rebeka Mertena gave Tennessee its first singles win on Court 4, defeating Jacqueline Pelletier in two quick sets, 6-2, 6-0.

The win adds on to what has been an impressive freshman campaign for the Liepaja, Latvia, native. Mertena has won 11 of her past 12 singles matches and is 15-3 in dual matches this season, including 6-1 in SEC competition.

Tenika McGiffin pushed the Tennessee lead to 3-1, as she cruised to her second singles win of the weekend. The Brisbane, Australia native defeated Alabama's Ann Selim on Court 6, 6-1, 6-1.

"Today the girls stepped it up and came out with a burning desire to give it all for Tennessee," McGiffin said. "After a great week in practice we all came out with a specific plan to execute.

"I'm really proud of the way the team handled the match today and took care of business. We will carry this same approach into our next away match on Friday!"

Ariadna Riley came up with the match-clinching win for the Lady Vols. The junior registered a 6-4, 6-2 win over Luca Fabian on Court 5 to wrap up the match for Tennessee.

"Every action and decision made today was for the betterment of our team, and I could sense everyone had the same urgency on every court," Riley said. "We're not only proud to represent our university, but we're proud to play for each other.

"We are a team on a mission, and our success the rest of the season won't come down to just tennis, but to the heart that we show. I'm confident that ours will surpass our opponents!"

85^th-ranked Sadie Hammond fell to the 69^th-ranked singles player, Andie Daniell on Court 1, 6-2, 6-2 in Tennessee's lone singles loss.

The Lady Vols got off to a hot start, with victories at the No. 1 and 3 spots in the doubles lineup to win the doubles point.

Johanna Silva and Mertena clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Luca Fabian and Moka Ito on Court 3.

Sixth-ranked Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines came up with the other victory, posting an identical 6-3 score against Daniell and Alba Cortina-Pou. The Tennessee duo improves to 20-2 overall together, 14-2 in dual matches.

"I thought we played with as good of energy and competitiveness as we ever have today," assistant coach Ty Schaub said. "The care factor on this team is extremely high and they have been letting it show on court.

"As far as tennis, there are little things at each spot that we can keep tightening up and improving on but as far as the things we can completely control like our intensity and energy, we are on point right now."

TRENDING UPWARD: In addition to Tennessee's four-match SEC winning streak and two-match road winning streak, the Lady Vols already have their most SEC wins in a season since 2014 with four regular season matches still remaining.

Sunday's victory gave UT six SEC wins this season, doubling last season's year-end total of three.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will hit the road for two more road matches next weekend, taking on Missouri at Friday evening at 6 p.m. ET before facing Arkansas on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

RESULTS
No. 18 Tennessee 4, No. 39 Alabama 1

Singles
1️. #69 Andie Daniell (UA) def. #85 Sadie Hammond (UT), 6-2, 6-2
2. Kaitlin Staines (UT) vs. Moka Ito (UA), 7-6 (3), 5-6, unfinished
3️. Johanna Silva (UT) vs. Alba Cortina-Pou (UA), 6-7 (5), 3-3, unfinished
4️. Rebeka Mertena (UT) def. Jacqueline Pelletier (UA), 6-2, 6-0
5️. Ariadna Riley (UT) def. Luca Fabian (UA), 6-4, 6-2
6️. Tenika McGiffin (UT) def. Ann Selim (UA), 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1️. #6 Hammond/Staines (UT) def. Daniell/Cortina-Pou (UA), 6-3
2️. Selim/Gintrand (UA) vs. Haumuller/McGiffin (UT), 4-3
3️. Mertena/Silva (UT) def. Fabian/Ito (UA), 6-3

Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3); Singles (1, 4, 6, 5)