Lady Vols Drop Close Match to LSU in ITA Kick-Off Championship

Saturday, January 26

Tallahassee, Fla.

4:00 PM

University of Tennessee

LSU

KNOXVILLE, TN - 2019.01.14 - Tennessee vs. North Alabama

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Lady Vols Drop Close Match to LSU in ITA Kick-Off Championship

January 26, 2019 | Women's Tennis

Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Tennessee fell just short of the ITA Kick-Off Tallahassee Regional championship, coming up short in a close match with LSU, 4-1.

Despite the final score, Tennessee (3-1) battled closely in singles after winning the doubles point.

"No one likes losing, but it's a part of winning," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "Our team grew a lot this weekend and we can thank our tough opponents for that.

"We fought hard and made LSU work for the win, but they were better than us today."

33^rd-ranked Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines started the day by defeating the 2018 NCAA doubles champions and current No. 9 ranked doubles pair in the nation, Jessica Golovin and Eden Richardson by a score of 6-4. The duo is now 10-0 together this season.

"We said last weekend that Sadie and Staines can compete for a national title, and tonight they proved that by beating the defending national champions," Ojeda said. "That's an incredible feat. With their win and then our two and three teams both playing a high level of tennis, we were able to get the point on the board."

Hammond and Staines clinched the doubles point for the Lady Vols, while on Court 3, Ariadna Riley and Maia Haumuller won Tennessee's other doubles match of the day over Kennan Johnson and Luba Vasilyuk, 6-3.

Rebeka Mertena and Tenika McGiffin led 30^th-ranked Taylor Bridges and Paris Corley, 5-3, before Tennessee clinched the doubles point.

In singles, Staines came up just short in a first set tiebreaker against Jessica Golovin before narrowly losing the second set to bring the final score to 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, while Mertena fell in three sets to Luba Vasilyuk, 6-4, 6-3.

Hammond and 13^th-ranked Richardson along with Riley and No. 72 Kennan Johnson were locked in third-set battles before LSU (2-1) clinched the match.

QUOTES

Kaitlin Staines
"I am so proud of our girls this weekend! We fought for every single point and overall got better individually and as a team in each match. Our doubles overall has improved dramatically and that play allowed us to play more free in the singles, even if those matches didn't end up going our way. I think we have a lot of upward potential as a team and I'm excited to play LSU again to see how much we grow in the next few weeks to come."

Sadie Hammond
"We made adjustments after yesterday's doubles and came out firing. We did a great job taking advantage of that and carried that momentum into singles. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough today. However, we know exactly what we need to do to improve and become the best tennis players we can be. We're all motivated and looking forward to putting in the work, as well as competing again in a couple of weeks at home."

Assistant coach Euan McIntosh
"To come out today and beat the defending national champions sets the tone for the rest of Sadie and Kaitlin's season. They took it to them from the first point! LSU fought hard and really pushed us to raise our level, which they both answered that pressure with playing the big points very disciplined and aggressive. They are very coachable which makes my job very easy when on court with them. Most importantly, they have fun playing together and love going through high pressure situations with each other, and that's why they have the opportunity and ability to do something very special this year."

UP NEXT: Tennessee returns home for a match against Old Dominion on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. That match will be the first of 11 consecutive home matches for the Lady Vols, spanning all the way until March 10.

RESULTS

Singles
1. No. 13 Eden Richardson (LSU) vs. Sadie Hammond (UT), 3-6, 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
2. Jessica Golovin (LSU) def. No. 91 Kaitlin Staines (UT), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
3. Taylor Bridges (LSU) def. Johanna Silva (UT), 6-0, 6-4
4. No. 72 Kennan Johnson (LSU) vs. No. 93 Ariadna Riley (UT), 5-7, 6-4, 2-1, unfinished
5. Paris Corley (LSU) def. Rebeka Mertena (UT), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Luba Vasilyuk (LSU) def. Maia Haumuller (UT), 6-4, 6-3

Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2, 5

Doubles
1. No. 33 Hammond/Staines (UT) def. No. 9 Richardson/Golovin (LSU), 6-4
2. No. 30 Bridges/Corley (LSU) vs. Mertena/McGiffin (UT), 3-5, unfinished
3. Riley/Haumuller (UT) def. Johnson/Vasilyuk (LSU), 6-3

Order of Finish: 3, 1