Adeshina's Big Day Not Enough as #16 Lady Vols Fall to #15 Gators, 4-1

Sunday, March 13

Gainesville, FL

1 PM

University of Tennessee

Florida

Adeshina's Big Day Not Enough as #16 Lady Vols Fall to #15 Gators, 4-1

March 13, 2022 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Box Score WATCH - Alison Ojeda Postmatch WATCH - Esther Adeshina Postmatch

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a match centered on momentum swings in both directions, the 16^th-ranked Tennessee women's tennis team fought for every point, but dropped the weekend finale, 4-1, to No. 15 Florida Sunday afternoon at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.

"At 1 and 2 (singles), after this weekend, I believe we can compete with anybody in the country," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "That is a fantastic thing to takeaway as we move into the rest of the SEC season. I still think we need to improve a lot, but the tennis is there. We can be really good tennis players. It's the inconsistency of mental toughness from one point, to the next point, to the next point."

Games were tightly decided from the first serve to match point on all six courts. But on a temperate, sunny day, the Lady Vols (8-4, 2-2 SEC) were on the wrong end of some of the winners found on the blue courts.

"In this sport you might play 140 points, maybe more, and the reality is you've got to be willing to fight for every single one of them," Ojeda continued. "If you don't, you lose matches like this and that's what we saw today. We played a good Florida team, but I know in my heart that we are right there."

Esther Adeshina and Elza Tomase came out firing in doubles, dominating the match on Court 2. They only needed 27 minutes to take down #18 Alicia Dudeney and Bente Spee, 6-1. The pairing found great success by attacking the net and executing on the chances they created by coming forward.

The doubles point came down to Court 1 after Florida won on Court 3. It was a battle between top-10 doubles teams. The flow of the match was back-and-forth, with five total breaks. Tennessee, down 5-4, faced match-point at deuce for a chance to get their third break of the match, but a volley sailed just long of the baseline and sixth-ranked Carly Briggs and Marlee Zein clinched the doubles point for the Gators.

Adeshina was lights out on Court 4, carrying over her superb doubles play into her singles match. She took down Florida's Briggs, 6-3, 6-1. Adeshina did an excellent job working the Gator junior to both sides of the court and getting to the net. She volleyed exceptionally well and took advantage of strong serving to win the bout.

"I'm going to play a different style of tennis than everyone is used to and it's going to ruffle some feathers," Adeshina said after the match. "But it needs full buy-in from me. Last year I hadn't totally bought in, but this year, something clicked and I am ready to do it. It's going to frustrate some players, but it's my way of playing, so I just have to commit to it and keep working at it."

Full results from this afternoon's match can be found below.

UP NEXT
The Lady Vols return to Rocky Top for a three-match homestand, starting with Georgia next Saturday, March 19, at noon ET at Barksdale Stadium. The next weekend, UT welcomes Texas A&M, on Friday, March 25, and LSU, on Sunday, March 27, to Knoxville.

TWO FOR THE TWOS
Esther Adeshina and Elza Tomase earned their second ranked win of the season in doubles. Sunday marked their first victory of the top-25 variety, winning over the No. 18 pairing on Court 2.

RUN OF RANKED FOES
With the Florida match Tennessee is underway in three-match stretch against top-25 opponents. The Lady Vols will host Georgia (currently ranked No. 23) and Texas A&M (currently No. 11)

#15 Florida 4, #16 Tennessee 1

Singles
1. #39 McCartney Kessler (UF) def. #31 Rebeka Mertena (TENN) 6-4, 7-5
2. Alicia Dudeney (UF) vs. #45 Tenika McGiffin (TENN) 0-6, 6-4, 4-2, unfinished
3. #55 Marlee Zein (UF) def. #73 Elza Tomase (TENN) 6-3, 6-3
4. Esther Adeshina (TENN) def. Carly Briggs (UF) 6-3, 6-1
5. Emma Shelton (UF) vs. Daria Kuczer (TENN) 7-6 (7-5), 4-3, unfinished
6. Sara Dahlstrom (UF) def. Eleonora Molinaro (TENN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Order of Finish: 3,4,1,6

Doubles
1. #6 Carly Briggs/Marlee Zein (UF) def. #10 Tenika McGiffin/Daria Kuczer (TENN) 6-4
2. Esther Adeshina/Elza Tomase (TENN) def. #18 Alicia Dudeney/Bente Spee (UF) 6-1
3. McCartney Kessler/Emma Shelton (UF) def. Eleonora Molinaro/Rebeka Mertena (TENN) 6-1
Order of Finish: 2,3,1