Hammond, Staines Crack ITA Doubles Top 20

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines continue to ascend the ITA National doubles rankings, as the duo came in at No. 17 in Wednesday's update of the rankings.

Hammond and Staines were previously ranked No. 33 in the ITA's Nov. 14 release.

"I'm excited for both Sadie and Staines on their top 20 doubles ranking," Tennessee head women's tennis coach Alison Ojeda said. "In order for us to get where we want to go as a team, individually we each need to contribute.

"For them to be able to contribute in a winning way during practice every day as well as in competition at the No. 1 spot is impressive. Tennessee has a tradition of excellence and there are close to 50 All American banners hanging in the Goodfriend indoor tennis facility. I know both of those ladies would like to have a banner of their own before they graduate, but I also know they will always put the team ahead of their individual goals."

Hammond and Staines are 10-0 as a duo dating back to the Tennessee Fall Invite in October 2018 and 4-0 in dual matches this spring. At the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Tallahassee Regional, they posted a 6-4 victory over LSU's Eden Richardson and Jessica Golovin -- the defending NCAA doubles champions and now the No. 6 ranked doubles pair.

"Getting into the top 20 is an amazing feeling," Staines said. "Sadie and I have been working really hard as a team and it's definitely paying off.

"However this is just the start for us, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much further we can go together as a doubles team. The exciting thing is that we still have things we can work on, and hopefully during the season we can push towards the top 10."

Added Hammond: "I am so happy to be ranked top 20 with Kaitlin. It validates the hard work and energy that we have put forth in being the best doubles team we can be.

"It's a special feeling to be ranked, but what makes it even more special is being ranked with one of your best friends. On top of that, our team is ranked 24 right now. Our goal is to continue to push our doubles ranking and our team ranking. We are looking forward to working towards those goals as we continue our season and start SEC play!"

In last week's release of the ITA's top 25 teams, Tennessee (3-1) entered the poll at No. 24.

The Lady Vols return to action on Sunday with a doubleheader against Old Dominion (11 a.m.) and Presbyterian (4 p.m.).

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Sadie Hammond

Kaitlin Staines

Related Videos