University of Tennessee Athletics
Sunday, April 7
Fayetteville, Ark.
1:00 PM
University of Tennessee
4
at
1
Arkansas
Photo by: Maury Neipris/Tennessee Athletics
No. 17 Lady Vols Conclude Road Trip With Win Over Arkansas, 4-1
April 07, 2019 | Women's Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 17th-ranked Tennessee women's tennis team won its sixth straight conference match Sunday afternoon, taking down No. 40 Arkansas on the road, 4-1.
Tennessee's current six-match SEC win streak is the longest since 2011 and marks just the second time since 2003 that UT has won six conference matches in a row. The win is also Tennessee's fourth straight SEC road win, the first time since 2007 that the Lady Vols have accomplished that feat.
"Today was a battle of heart and will, just like we knew it would be," Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. "Arkansas is good and forced us to execute in order to come away with the win.
"I'm having so much fun watching our team compete. We are giving each other everything we have and taking advantage of every opportunity we're presented with. We're going to have some fun enjoying this weekend for another 24 hours and then it's time to focus on the week ahead to prepare for Friday's match against Vanderbilt."
Kaitlin Staines clinched the match for the Lady Vols, registering a ranked win on Court 2. The sophomore defeated Arkansas' No. 84 Tatum Rice in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
Entering Sunday's match, Rice was 9-3 at the No. 2 singles spot. Rice is the highest ranked opponent that Staines has defeated while at Tennessee.
Tennessee's first singles win came from Rebeka Mertena, who secured a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Laura Rijkers to push the Lady Vol lead to 2-0.
The win continued a recent hot streak for the freshman, who has now won 13 of her past 14 singles matches and possesses a team-leading eight SEC singles wins.
The Lady Vols' lead extended to 3-1 with Johanna Silva's win at the No. 2 singles spot. Silva defeated Lauren Alter, 6-3, 6-4.
For the third match in a row, Tennessee won the doubles point.
The 16th-ranked duo of Sadie Hammond and Staines put the Lady Vols' first doubles win on the board, taking down Lauren Alter and Tatum Rice, 6-3. Hammond and Staines are now 16-2 together this season.
Mertena and Silva clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 defeat of Miruna Tudor and Jackie Carr. As doubles partners, Mertena and Silva have now won six of their past seven matches and possess an overall 10-3 dual match record.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols return to Knoxville for a pair of home matches next weekend. Tennessee takes on Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., before facing Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. to close out the regular season.
The matches are a part of an "All Vol Weekend," which is slated to feature home events for Tennessee track and field, softball and baseball from April 11-14 in addition to the annual Orange and White Game football exhibition.
QUOTES
Senior Sadie Hammond
"Our team gets tested and challenged every weekend. We are a team that everyone is coming after this year. We know how it feels to be an underdog from previous years, but we are not that team this year. And so when we play teams that come out firing for us, we come back with just as much firepower. We have the fight of an underdog and confidence of one of the best teams in the conference. We learn from wins and losses, hold each other accountable every day and continually strive to be the best team we can be."
Sophomore Kaitlin Staines
"Today we were given another unbelievable opportunity to play a great team. Right from the first point, we were switched on and knew that we had to stay confident within our games. It's so fun playing for Tennessee and knowing that I have a whole team behind me when things start to get tough. They're the ones who got me through today! We're so happy with the result today but already looking forward to next weekend. There are exciting things to come."
Redshirt junior Gabby Schuck
"I'm really excited and proud of the team. Throughout the season, we have continued to get better and learn from every match. We are a team on a mission and you can see it in everyone's eyes when we step out on the court. We are playing for each other and all have the same goals and we aren't done yet!"
RESULTS
No. 17 Tennessee 4, No. 40 Arkansas 1
Singles
1️. #104 Martina Zerulo (UA) def. #65 Sadie Hammond (UT), 6-0, 6-3
2. Kaitlin Staines (UT) def. #84 Tatum Rice (UA), 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
3️. Johanna Silva (UT) def. Lauren Alter (UA), 6-3, 6-4
4️. Rebeka Mertena (UT) def. Laura Rijkers (UA), 6-0, 6-1
5️. Ariadna Riley (UT) vs. Miruna Tudor (UA), 4-6, 5-6, unfinished
6️. Tenika McGiffin (UT) vs. Jackie Carr (UA), 6-2, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
Doubles
1️. #16 Hammond/Staines (UT) def. Alter/Rice (UA), 6-3
2️. Zerulo/Rice (UA) def. Haumuller/McGiffin (UT), 6-2
3️. Mertena/Silva (UT) def. Tudor/Carr (UA), 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (4, 1, 3, 2)
Tennessee's current six-match SEC win streak is the longest since 2011 and marks just the second time since 2003 that UT has won six conference matches in a row. The win is also Tennessee's fourth straight SEC road win, the first time since 2007 that the Lady Vols have accomplished that feat.
"Today was a battle of heart and will, just like we knew it would be," Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. "Arkansas is good and forced us to execute in order to come away with the win.
"I'm having so much fun watching our team compete. We are giving each other everything we have and taking advantage of every opportunity we're presented with. We're going to have some fun enjoying this weekend for another 24 hours and then it's time to focus on the week ahead to prepare for Friday's match against Vanderbilt."
Kaitlin Staines clinched the match for the Lady Vols, registering a ranked win on Court 2. The sophomore defeated Arkansas' No. 84 Tatum Rice in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
Entering Sunday's match, Rice was 9-3 at the No. 2 singles spot. Rice is the highest ranked opponent that Staines has defeated while at Tennessee.
Tennessee's first singles win came from Rebeka Mertena, who secured a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Laura Rijkers to push the Lady Vol lead to 2-0.
The win continued a recent hot streak for the freshman, who has now won 13 of her past 14 singles matches and possesses a team-leading eight SEC singles wins.
The Lady Vols' lead extended to 3-1 with Johanna Silva's win at the No. 2 singles spot. Silva defeated Lauren Alter, 6-3, 6-4.
For the third match in a row, Tennessee won the doubles point.
The 16th-ranked duo of Sadie Hammond and Staines put the Lady Vols' first doubles win on the board, taking down Lauren Alter and Tatum Rice, 6-3. Hammond and Staines are now 16-2 together this season.
Mertena and Silva clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 defeat of Miruna Tudor and Jackie Carr. As doubles partners, Mertena and Silva have now won six of their past seven matches and possess an overall 10-3 dual match record.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols return to Knoxville for a pair of home matches next weekend. Tennessee takes on Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., before facing Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. to close out the regular season.
The matches are a part of an "All Vol Weekend," which is slated to feature home events for Tennessee track and field, softball and baseball from April 11-14 in addition to the annual Orange and White Game football exhibition.
QUOTES
Senior Sadie Hammond
"Our team gets tested and challenged every weekend. We are a team that everyone is coming after this year. We know how it feels to be an underdog from previous years, but we are not that team this year. And so when we play teams that come out firing for us, we come back with just as much firepower. We have the fight of an underdog and confidence of one of the best teams in the conference. We learn from wins and losses, hold each other accountable every day and continually strive to be the best team we can be."
Sophomore Kaitlin Staines
"Today we were given another unbelievable opportunity to play a great team. Right from the first point, we were switched on and knew that we had to stay confident within our games. It's so fun playing for Tennessee and knowing that I have a whole team behind me when things start to get tough. They're the ones who got me through today! We're so happy with the result today but already looking forward to next weekend. There are exciting things to come."
Redshirt junior Gabby Schuck
"I'm really excited and proud of the team. Throughout the season, we have continued to get better and learn from every match. We are a team on a mission and you can see it in everyone's eyes when we step out on the court. We are playing for each other and all have the same goals and we aren't done yet!"
RESULTS
No. 17 Tennessee 4, No. 40 Arkansas 1
Singles
1️. #104 Martina Zerulo (UA) def. #65 Sadie Hammond (UT), 6-0, 6-3
2. Kaitlin Staines (UT) def. #84 Tatum Rice (UA), 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
3️. Johanna Silva (UT) def. Lauren Alter (UA), 6-3, 6-4
4️. Rebeka Mertena (UT) def. Laura Rijkers (UA), 6-0, 6-1
5️. Ariadna Riley (UT) vs. Miruna Tudor (UA), 4-6, 5-6, unfinished
6️. Tenika McGiffin (UT) vs. Jackie Carr (UA), 6-2, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
Doubles
1️. #16 Hammond/Staines (UT) def. Alter/Rice (UA), 6-3
2️. Zerulo/Rice (UA) def. Haumuller/McGiffin (UT), 6-2
3️. Mertena/Silva (UT) def. Tudor/Carr (UA), 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (4, 1, 3, 2)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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