University of Tennessee Athletics
Hammond, Staines Rise Into Top 10; Silva Earns Singles Ranking
February 20, 2019 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines made another jump in the ITA National doubles rankings released Wednesday, as the duo clocked in at No. 9.
Junior Johanna Silva also earned a ranking for singles, coming in at No. 121.
"Our program is very excited for our No. 1 doubles team of Sadie and Kaitlin," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "They are so much fun to watch compete because they excite you with their energy, athleticism and execution from start to finish.
"They can do it all and I'm thrilled for them to share this experience on the court together."
The No. 9 ranking is the highest by a Tennessee doubles team since the 2013 season's final rankings, when Kata Szekely and Brynn Boren ranked No. 5 in the nation. That season, Szekely and Boren were named All-Americans.
The senior, Hammond, and sophomore, Staines, have previously been ranked No. 33 (Nov. 14) and No. 17 (Feb. 6) during this season's ITA rankings releases.
Hammond and Staines are 13-0 as a duo dating back to the Tennessee Fall Invite in October 2018, including a 7-0 mark in dual matches this spring. The duo has been a contributing factor in the Lady Vols (6-2) winning the doubles point in seven of their eight matches this season.
At the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Tallahassee Regional on Jan. 26, they posted a 6-4 victory over LSU's Eden Richardson and Jessica Golovin -- the defending NCAA doubles champions and the current No. 11 ranked doubles pair.
Silva's No. 121 ranking is the first singles ranking of her career and makes the Hamburg, Germany native the third Lady Vol to earn a singles ranking this season (Kaitlin Staines and Ariadna Riley).
"The best players in the country are quick, have a high shot tolerance and are mentally tough," Ojeda said. "Jo is becoming very good in all three of these categories, especially the mental toughness component.
"She's a fierce competitor who is performing at a high level in practice daily. I'm happy for her to show up in the rankings because she has certainly put in the work that it takes to get there."
The junior has won 17 of her past 19 singles matches dating back to the fall and possesses a 6-2 record in dual matches this season, primarily coming at Tennessee's No. 3 singles spot.
The No. 29 Lady Vols return to action this weekend with three home matches. Tennessee takes on Purdue at 11 a.m. on Saturday before hosting UT Martin (11 a.m.) and ETSU (3 p.m.) for a doubleheader on Sunday.
Junior Johanna Silva also earned a ranking for singles, coming in at No. 121.
"Our program is very excited for our No. 1 doubles team of Sadie and Kaitlin," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "They are so much fun to watch compete because they excite you with their energy, athleticism and execution from start to finish.
"They can do it all and I'm thrilled for them to share this experience on the court together."
The No. 9 ranking is the highest by a Tennessee doubles team since the 2013 season's final rankings, when Kata Szekely and Brynn Boren ranked No. 5 in the nation. That season, Szekely and Boren were named All-Americans.
The senior, Hammond, and sophomore, Staines, have previously been ranked No. 33 (Nov. 14) and No. 17 (Feb. 6) during this season's ITA rankings releases.
Hammond and Staines are 13-0 as a duo dating back to the Tennessee Fall Invite in October 2018, including a 7-0 mark in dual matches this spring. The duo has been a contributing factor in the Lady Vols (6-2) winning the doubles point in seven of their eight matches this season.
At the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Tallahassee Regional on Jan. 26, they posted a 6-4 victory over LSU's Eden Richardson and Jessica Golovin -- the defending NCAA doubles champions and the current No. 11 ranked doubles pair.
Silva's No. 121 ranking is the first singles ranking of her career and makes the Hamburg, Germany native the third Lady Vol to earn a singles ranking this season (Kaitlin Staines and Ariadna Riley).
"The best players in the country are quick, have a high shot tolerance and are mentally tough," Ojeda said. "Jo is becoming very good in all three of these categories, especially the mental toughness component.
"She's a fierce competitor who is performing at a high level in practice daily. I'm happy for her to show up in the rankings because she has certainly put in the work that it takes to get there."
The junior has won 17 of her past 19 singles matches dating back to the fall and possesses a 6-2 record in dual matches this season, primarily coming at Tennessee's No. 3 singles spot.
The No. 29 Lady Vols return to action this weekend with three home matches. Tennessee takes on Purdue at 11 a.m. on Saturday before hosting UT Martin (11 a.m.) and ETSU (3 p.m.) for a doubleheader on Sunday.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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