University of Tennessee Athletics
Thursday, November 6
San Diego, Calif.
University of Tennessee
vs
ITA Conference Masters
Photo by: Drew Garrison/Tennessee Athletic
Britez Risso advances to Quarterfinals at ITA Sectionals
November 07, 2025 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee women's tennis team collected six total wins Friday, headlined by No. 34 Leyla Britez Risso reaching the singles quarterfinals at the ITA South Sectional.
Britez Risso took her victory in three sets, besting Auburn's Alice Battesti, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The senior now boasts the deepest run by a Lady Vol at both the ITA Sectionals (quarterfinalist) and ITA Regionals (semifinalist) this season, continuing her impressive start to her fourth season in Knoxville.
She and doubles partner Catherine Aulia tabbed a thrilling victory in the consolation bracket, defeating Georgia Tech's Cruz/Nicholson team 4-6, 7-6 [4], 10-6. Tennessee's pairing faced a match point in the second set with a 6-4, 5-4 lead for the Yellow Jackets. Aulia and Britez Risso managed to tie the set at 5 with an untimely double fault by Georgia Tech, and went on the win the set in tiebreak fashion.
Vanesa Suarez and Saray Yli-Piipari also picked up a win in the doubles consolation bracket defeating UGA's Deming/Mulberry tandem, 7-5, 1-6, 10-4.
In San Diego, the Mattioli/Thornton tandem picked up another victory over Stephen F. Austin's Cave/Mamontova duo. They fought to a three-set win of their own, with a 6-4, 2-6, 12-10 score to advance to the Conference Masters doubles quarterfinals. The duo would ultimately fall in that quarterfinal round to the pairing from Wichita State, ending their tournament run.
Britez Risso will compete tomorrow in the Sectional quarterfinal, facing Florida's Gabia Paskauskas. If she advances and wins her semifinal match, she would earn an automatic qualification to the NCAA Singles Championships, to be contested in Orlando later this month. She, Aulia, Suarez and Yli-Piipari will play in the doubles consolation semifinals tomorrow, looking to further build their fall resumes.
ITA South Sectional Results – Lady Vol Entries
Leyla Britez Risso (UT) def. Alice Battesti (Auburn) - 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
*Catherine Aulia (UT) def. Kinaa Graham (LSU) - 6-1, 6-3
*Elim Yan (UT) def. Gianna Oboniye (Miss. St.) - 6-3, 6-3
Lucie Pawlak (UF) def. Saray Yli-Piipari (UT) – 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
*Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Elim Yan (UT) – 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
*Valery Gynina (UF) def. Catherine Aulia (UT) – 7-6 [5], 6-3
*Zoe Hammond (UK) def. Vanesa Suarez (UT) – 6-7 [5], 6-2, 6-2
*Aulia/Britez Risso (UT) def. Cruz/Nicholson (Ga. Tech) – 4-6, 7-6 [4], 10-6
*Suarez/Yli-Piipari (UT) def. Deming/Mulberry (UGA) – 7-5, 1-6, 10-4
* - indicates consolation bracket
ITA Conference Masters Results – Lady Vols Entries
Mattioli/Thornton (UT) def. Cave/Mamontova (SFA) – 6-4, 2-6, 12-10
Roselli/Wong (WSU) def. Mattioli/Thornton (UT) – 7-5, 6-3
Britez Risso took her victory in three sets, besting Auburn's Alice Battesti, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The senior now boasts the deepest run by a Lady Vol at both the ITA Sectionals (quarterfinalist) and ITA Regionals (semifinalist) this season, continuing her impressive start to her fourth season in Knoxville.
She and doubles partner Catherine Aulia tabbed a thrilling victory in the consolation bracket, defeating Georgia Tech's Cruz/Nicholson team 4-6, 7-6 [4], 10-6. Tennessee's pairing faced a match point in the second set with a 6-4, 5-4 lead for the Yellow Jackets. Aulia and Britez Risso managed to tie the set at 5 with an untimely double fault by Georgia Tech, and went on the win the set in tiebreak fashion.
Vanesa Suarez and Saray Yli-Piipari also picked up a win in the doubles consolation bracket defeating UGA's Deming/Mulberry tandem, 7-5, 1-6, 10-4.
In San Diego, the Mattioli/Thornton tandem picked up another victory over Stephen F. Austin's Cave/Mamontova duo. They fought to a three-set win of their own, with a 6-4, 2-6, 12-10 score to advance to the Conference Masters doubles quarterfinals. The duo would ultimately fall in that quarterfinal round to the pairing from Wichita State, ending their tournament run.
Britez Risso will compete tomorrow in the Sectional quarterfinal, facing Florida's Gabia Paskauskas. If she advances and wins her semifinal match, she would earn an automatic qualification to the NCAA Singles Championships, to be contested in Orlando later this month. She, Aulia, Suarez and Yli-Piipari will play in the doubles consolation semifinals tomorrow, looking to further build their fall resumes.
ITA South Sectional Results – Lady Vol Entries
Leyla Britez Risso (UT) def. Alice Battesti (Auburn) - 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
*Catherine Aulia (UT) def. Kinaa Graham (LSU) - 6-1, 6-3
*Elim Yan (UT) def. Gianna Oboniye (Miss. St.) - 6-3, 6-3
Lucie Pawlak (UF) def. Saray Yli-Piipari (UT) – 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
*Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Elim Yan (UT) – 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
*Valery Gynina (UF) def. Catherine Aulia (UT) – 7-6 [5], 6-3
*Zoe Hammond (UK) def. Vanesa Suarez (UT) – 6-7 [5], 6-2, 6-2
*Aulia/Britez Risso (UT) def. Cruz/Nicholson (Ga. Tech) – 4-6, 7-6 [4], 10-6
*Suarez/Yli-Piipari (UT) def. Deming/Mulberry (UGA) – 7-5, 1-6, 10-4
* - indicates consolation bracket
ITA Conference Masters Results – Lady Vols Entries
Mattioli/Thornton (UT) def. Cave/Mamontova (SFA) – 6-4, 2-6, 12-10
Roselli/Wong (WSU) def. Mattioli/Thornton (UT) – 7-5, 6-3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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