University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNIS OPENS SEC PLAY AGAINST AUBURN & ALABAMA
February 26, 2004 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 26, 2004
Match Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
The 28th-ranked University of Tennessee women's tennis team kicks off Southeastern Conference play this week by playing host to Auburn on Fri., Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. and No. 53 Alabama on Sun., Feb. 29 at 1 p.m.
Auburn is off to a 5-2 start to the season, coming off consecutive 7-0 wins against Troy State on Feb. 24 and Alabama-Birmingham on Feb. 21. After going 9-12 overall and 2-9 in the SEC with a young group last season, the Tigers have a much more experienced lineup this year after returning all six of their starters. The Lady Vols have been dominant in the series between the two teams, holding a 20-6 all-time advantage against AU. The Tigers have dropped 11 straight matches to Tennessee, including a 6-1 loss last season in Auburn.
The Crimson Tide enter SEC competition with a 4-3 record and will play at No. 2 Georgia on Friday, prior to visiting Knoxville on Sunday. Following a season in which they went 18-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Tide have a young squad this year, which is comprised of five sophomores and two freshmen. Historically, UT has had the upper hand in the all-time series, as the Orange and White boast a 24-10 advantage over 'Bama. Tennessee has won the last 10 meetings, however, the Tide gave UT a strong challenge last season, as the Lady Vols came away with a 4-3 victory in Tuscaloosa.
The Big Orange, meanwhile, dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 25 Michigan on Sat., Feb. 21, to fall to 4-6 overall this season. The Lady Vols have faced an extremely demanding non-conference schedule, as all of their opponents have been ranked in the ITA Top 75, while seven of their 10 foes appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament. Additionally, five of Tennessee's six losses have been by 4-3 scores.
UT's 62nd-ranked sophomore Sabita Maharaj has had to step up to the No. 1 singles position in the last three matches, due to 27th-ranked senior Tammy Encina being sidelined with an injury. During that stretch, Maharaj has gone 2-1, with wins coming against No. 15 Karin Coetzee of Wake Forest and No. 92 Michelle DaCosta of Michigan, boosting her overall record to 15-8 this year. Freshman Blakeley Griffith, meanwhile, notched the 20th win of her career with a victory over the Wolverines' Kavitha Tipirneni at No. 3 singles, and now boasts a record of 20-5 this season.
The Lady Vols will continue their two-week homestand when Arkansas comes to Knoxville on Fri., March 5 and LSU pays a visit on Sun., March 7.
