University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Purdue
NO. 11 TENNESSEE SURVIVES SCARE FROM PURDUE, 5-2
February 01, 2003 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 1, 2003
LAFAYETTE, Ind.
On a cold, snow-covered Saturday afternoon in Lafayette, Ind., the 11th-ranked University of Tennessee Lady Vol tennis team escaped with a 5-2 win over No. 52 Purdue on the indoor courts at Lafayette Sports Center. The victory moved Tennessee to 3-0 on the year, while the loss dropped the Boilermakers to 2-1. The Big Orange is now 10-0 all-time against Purdue.
UT came out on top in a hotly contested doubles point that went down to the wire. After Tennessee and Purdue split the matches at two and three doubles, all eyes were on the No. 1 court. UT senior Vilmarie Castellvi and freshman Melissa Schaub, ranked 22nd as a tandem, found themselves down a break at 6-4 to the No. 57 duo of junior Gretchen Haynor and senior Missy Wright. Castellvi and Schaub, however, regrouped and ran off four straight games for the 8-6 victory and the 1-0 UT lead heading into the singles action. The pair upped their record to 10-1 overall and 6-0 this spring with the victory.
It appeared that the Orange and White would roll over the Boilermakers when five Lady Vols won their initial sets in the six singles matches. Purdue battled back and sent five of the contests to a third and decisive set before succumbing to UT.
Tennessee took a 2-0 advantage when fourth-ranked Castellvi took down senior Melissa Iqbal, ranked No. 110, at one singles, 6-2, 6-2. It was the only singles match on the day that was decided in straight sets. Castellvi's victory was her seventh in a row this spring and moved her record to 18-3 this season. The Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, native has not dropped a set this year as well.
The Boilermakers got on the board when sophomore Shawna Zuccarini completed her comeback from a one-set deficit to Schaub at three singles, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. The loss was Schaub's first of the spring in dual match play.
Purdue tied things up after sophomore Amy Walgenbach won a three-setter over senior Crystal Cleveland at the No. 5 position. Cleveland took the first set, 6-4, but fell in the final two, 7-5, 6-1.
With the match tied, 2-2, all three of the remaining matches at two, four and six singles were in a third set. UT sophomore Breanna Kray was the first to finish with a come-from-behind triumph over sophomore Lara Burgarello at four, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Orange and White junior Tammy Encina eventually clinched the match at the No. 2 slot for the Lady Vols when she upended Haynor in a third set tiebreaker, 7-3. Sophomore Ashley Robards, who was in action for the first time this spring after recovering from an injury to her right hand, was the final Lady Volunteer to win with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Wright at No. 6 singles.
"I thought Purdue played extremely well," said UT Co-Head Coach Mike Patrick. "This was a good test for us. I was glad to see some different people (Kray and Encina) step up today. Matches like this are what will make us tougher for what's ahead."
The Lady Volunteers will travel to Urbana-Champaign tomorrow to face the 45th-ranked University of Illinois at noon CT.
Final Score: #11 Tennessee (3-0) 5, #52 Purdue (2-1) 2
| SINGLES | ||
| No. 1 | #4 Vilmarie Castellvi (UT) def. #110 Melissa Iqbal (PU) | 6-2, 6-2 |
| No. 2 | Tammy Encina (UT) def. Gretchen Haynor (PU) | 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3) |
| No. 3 | Shawna Zuccarini (PU) def. Melissa Schaub (UT) | 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| No. 4 | Breanna Kray (UT) def. Lara Burgarello (PU) | 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
| No. 5 | Amy Walgenbach (PU) def. Crystal Cleveland (UT) | 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 |
| No. 6 | Ashley Robards (UT) def. Missy Wright (PU) | 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 |
| Order of Finish: 1, 3, 5, 4, 2*, 6 | ||
| DOUBLES | ||
| No. 1 | #22 Castellvi/Schaub (UT) def. #57 Haynor/Wright (PU) | 8-6 |
| No. 2 | Kray/Encina (UT) def. Iqbal/Melissa Woods (PU) | 8-6 |
| No. 3 | Burgarello/Zuccarini (PU) def. Cleveland/Majen Immink (UT) | 8-2 |
| Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1* | ||
| * clinching point | ||
Players Mentioned
