University of Tennessee
LSU
Vols Down No. 19 LSU, 4-2
April 16, 2017 | Women's Tennis
April 16, 2017
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After going down early in the match, No. 23 Tennessee rallied from behind to down 19th-ranked LSU, 4-2, at Barksdale Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
"It was a pretty exciting regular season finish," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "Our team did such a great job of bringing the energy, staying disciplined, and continuing to fight for one another from start to finish. We talked before the match about this being our seniors' last home match of their career. Eve and Brittany have both been through a lot of ups and downs since their freshman year at Tennessee. In January, I promised them I would do whatever I could to make their senior year the best one yet. To watch their teammates shower them with the Gatorade coolers today was just priceless. I am so happy for them. I'm also incredibly thankful for them."
The Vols (17-10, 4-9 SEC) split Courts 2 and 3 in doubles to begin the contest, but the Tigers edged out the win on the final court to take a 1-0 lead. In singles, Tennessee came out on fire, taking four of the five matches to clinch the sixth ranked victory of the season for the Volunteers.
In doubles, the duo of Sadie Hammond and Gabby Schuck breezed past Jade Lewis and Becca Weissmann, 6-0, on Court 2. The Tigers clinched the doubles point after a pair of 7-5 wins on Courts 1 and 3.
Ariadna Riley got things started in singles, defeating Jessica Golovin, 6-1, 6-2. Brittany Lindl extended UT's lead to 2-1 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over 18th-ranked 18 Jade Lewis. It marked her seventh ranked victory of during her senior season. She only had one coming into the year.
LSU tied things back up on Court 3, where No. 118 Ryann Foster beat Hammond, 6-2, 6-3. After that, it was all Vols. Ashley Bongart, who hasn't competed in over a month, came in today and got her second career SEC win, downing Skylar Holloway, 6-3, 6-3. Johanna Silva clinched the victory on Court 5 with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 match against Becca Weissmann.
"I knew it was a really important match because it was our last match in the regular season and our last official home match with our seniors," Silva said. "In every close situation, I was just thinking about my team, and they gave me so much energy through cheering. I found the strength to clinch the match. I am super proud of the performance of my team and looking forward to play with them in the SEC Tournament."
UT put together a strong regular season this spring, totaling more Top-25 wins this year than the last three seasons combined. The Volunteers also had more wins (17) and the highest ranking (12th) since 2011, when they had 20 wins and reached No. 11 in the polls. Tennessee also earned its first Top-15 win since defeating No. 9 Auburn in the SEC Tournament on April 19, 2012.
"I've asked Kim Kermet and Ashley to be ready every match now for the last four weeks and today was Ashley's day," Ojeda said. "She got the call and did an excellent job competing. Our freshmen have been stellar all year [winning 45 out of their 80 matches in singles], and today, they both contributed greatly to our teams win. Everyone is improving daily. Kata Szekely, Ty Schaub, Ashley Thomas and myself are doing everything we can every practice to make sure our team is prepared for excellence."
Tennessee will travel to Nashville this week to compete in the SEC Tournament. The Volunteers open with a contest against Alabama on Wednesday at 10 a.m. CT.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's tennis program, follow @Vol_WTennis on Twitter.
No. 23 Tennessee 4, No. 19 LSU 2
Singles
1. #59 Brittany Lindl (UT) def. #18 Jade Lewis (LSU), 6-2, 6-3
2. Eve Repic (UT) vs. #60 Joana Valle Costa (LSU), 4-6, 6-4, 5-2 unf.
3. #118 Ryann Foster (LSU) def. Sadie Hammond (UT), 6-2, 6-3
4. Ariadna Riley (UT) def. Jessica Golovin (LSU), 6-1, 6-2
5. Johanna Silva (UT) def. Becca Weissmann (LSU), 7-6 (3), 6-2
6. Ashley Bongart (UT) def. Skylar Holloway (LSU), 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1. #23 Valle Costa/Foster (LSU) def. #72 Lindl/Repic (UT), 7-5
2. Hammond/Schuck (UT) def. Lewis/Weissmann (LSU), 6-0
3. Golovin/Holloway (LSU) def. Riley/Silva (UT), 7-5
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 3, 1); Singles (4, 1, 3, 6, 5)
