University of Tennessee
Ole Miss
Vols Rally Late in 4-3 Win Against Ole Miss
March 26, 2017 | Women's Tennis
March 26, 2017
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- A late rally by Sadie Hammond gave Tennessee a 4-3 win over No. 28 Ole Miss on Sunday at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
"It was my teammates," Hammond said on what helped her win the match. "I looked over at them and saw the scoreboard and knew I had to get it. I knew I needed to play well and execute. Every time I would win a point, I would look over at them and think, `I have to do it for them. They are so deserving of it, and we work so hard every day.' There was no one else I would rather do it for, and that is what got me through it."
With the match tied at 3-3, Hammond faced a 5-4 deficit in the third set on Court 3, with momentum leaning in the Rebels' favor. Three games later, she pulled off the comeback with a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Zalina Khairudinova, giving the Vols (15-7, 2-6 SEC) a much-needed win.
"Friday night, we met as a team because we decided how we wanted to respond from the loss," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "We left it up to the girls, and they said they wanted to keep going. The girls came out today and just fought. The energy and excitement on each court was fantastic. Sadie started crying after the match and told the team that she was able to do it because of them. That was really something special."
The match was a grind from the beginning. In doubles, the freshmen duo of Ariadna Riley and Johanna Silva defeated Khairudinova and Tea Jandric, 6-4.
After dropping the match on Court 1, the doubles point came down to a tiebreaker on the final court, where Hammond and Gabby Schuck faced a 5-2 deficit. The two surged late, though, and were able to edge Natalie Suk and Anna Vrbenska for a 7-6 (9) win to give UT a 1-0 lead.
In singles, No. 58 Brittany Lindl got things going early, downing 71st-ranked Arianne Hartono, 6-3, 6-3. The win marked her sixth over a ranked opponent this season.
"Today's win was a full effort from all six courts," Lindl said. "Everyone had the heart and energy every point, and that's what it takes to be successful in the SEC. I am unbelievably proud of the grit and determination of everyone out there and can't wait to carry this momentum further into SEC play."
Eve Repic extended UT's lead to 3-1 over Ole Miss, holding off a late comeback and getting a ranked win over No. 82 Natalie Suk, 6-3, 7-6 (1).
"I'm really proud of the way everyone fought today," Repic said. "Every match in the SEC is so tough and to get the win today is huge. Ole Miss competed really hard the entire match. Sadie was such a superstar today to get the clinch to win it. We're looking forward to building off this win as we continue SEC play."
The Rebels would pull even at 3-3 in singles before Hammond clinched the match for the Volunteers in front of big crowd at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
"I just want to send a massive thank you to our fans," Ojeda said. "I feel like we gave them something they would want to come back and see more of. We had a ton of kids show up for our post-match kids clinic today. Thank you to them, their parents and our normal fans for coming out and showing support. Another big thank you goes to our marketing department for getting this together and pulling off the clinic. Sam Winterbotham bringing his team out here on a day off is huge and shows our dedication to growing this tennis community."
Tennessee will be back home next Saturday to host Georgia at Barksdale Stadium at noon for the lone match on the weekend.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's tennis program, follow @Vol_WTennis on Twitter.
No. 23 Tennessee 4, No. 28 Ole Miss 3
Singles
1. #58 Brittany Lindl (UT) def. #71 Arianne Hartono (OM), 6-3, 6-3
2. Eve Repic (UT) def. #82 Natalie Suk (OM), 6-3, 7-6 (1)
3. Sadie Hammond (UT) def. Zalina Khairudinova (OM), 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
4. Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Ariadna Riley (UT), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. Tea Jandric (OM) def. Johanna Silva (UT), 6-2, 6-2
6. Alexa Bortles (OM) def. Kim Kermet (UT), 7-5, 7-6 (2)
Doubles
1. #27 Hartono/Bortles (OM) def. #52 Lindl/Repic (UT), 7-5
2. Hammond/Schuck (UT) def. Suk/Vrbenska (OM), 7-6 (9)
3. Riley/Silva (UT) def. Khairudinova/Jandric (OM), 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2); Singles (1, 5, 2, 4, 6, 3)
