University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Alabama
Lady Vols Topple Crimson Tide in Sunday Sweep
April 17, 2022 | Women's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Finishing regular season action on a high note, the Tennessee women's tennis team defeated Alabama, 4-0, Sunday afternoon at Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility.
Tennessee (13-8, 7-6 SEC) jumped out of the gate with a strong doubles point. On Court 2, 76th-ranked Esther Adeshina and Rebeka Mertena dominated the last four games after a 2-2 start to the match to secure the first doubles winner, 6-2. Shortly after, on Court 1, 17th-ranked Tenika McGiffin and Daria Kuczer delivered the dubs point clinch with a 6-3 victory over Petra Sedlackova/Anna Parkhomenko.
"I was happy with the performance today," associate head coach Jarryd Chaplin said. "I thought the girls played a pretty complete match because the matches that got up early were able to finish. The ones that were down, got back to even. The doubles was back-and-forth, then we kind of pulled away. I was happy with the performance."
Eleonora Molinaro bounced back nicely and earned the Lady Vols' first singles point of the afternoon. She faced Ansley Cheshire on Court 6 and wrapped up a 6-2, 6-1 victory for her 12th dual victory of the season and seventh in SEC play.
Elza Tomase set the tone early on Court 3, blanking Alabama's Anna Parkhomenko, 6-0, in the first set. The two duked it out in the second set, but big, powerful serving late in the match sent the standout Lady Vol freshman to victory, 6-4, for Tennessee's third point of the day.
Kuczer clinched the match for Tennessee on Court 4. The first set was a battle, the two went back-and-forth throughout the early games, but at 5-5, Kuczer got a massive break and would serve out the set; she would not falter, calmly nailing a 7-5 first set victory. In the second, she took over the match, hitting her spots and keeping the ball in the court. She downed Anne Marie Hiser, 6-1, to send the Lady Vols home victorious with the clinching point.
Had the match been played out, Tennessee was battling on the other three courts. Adeshina had just sent her match to a third set on Court 5, McGiffin played a first set that lasted over 70 minutes. She and UA's Ola Pitak had just finished the first game of the second frame when the match clinched. Mertena was also one game away from winning the second set to force a third.
"Very quick turnaround for us," Chaplin continued. "We get back to Knoxville for a couple of days then head down to Gainesville. As far as preparation going into the SEC Tournament, Sunday was a good day for the Vols."
Full results from Sunday's match can be found below.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols travel to Gainesville, Florida for the 2022 SEC Tournament at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex. Tennessee is in for a rematch with the Crimson Tide as the two face off in the second round at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 21. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
60 FOR DARIA
Senior Daria Kuczer earned her 60th career doubles victory in the win with McGiffin. She leads the Lady Vols in career doubles victories I n dual matches with 42.
SEEING DOUBLE
Tennessee will face the same opponent in its first round of the SEC Tournament that it did in the regular season finale for the first time since 2005. That year the Lady Vols beat Georgia at home before facing the Bulldogs in the conference postseason tournament at Alabama.
#26 Tennessee 4, #45 Alabama 0
Singles
1. #87 Petra Sedlackova (UA) vs. #30 Rebeka Mertena (TENN) 6-3, 3-5, unfinished
2. Ola Pitak (UA) vs. #52 Tenika McGiffin (TENN) 7-6 (9-7), 0-1, unfinished
3. #111 Elza Tomase (TENN) def. Anna Parkhomenko (UA) 6-0, 6-4
4. Daria Kuczer (TENN) def. Anne Marie Hiser (UA) 7-5, 6-1
5. Kasia Pitak (UA) vs. Esther Adeshina (TENN) 6-2, 4-6, unfinished
6. Eleonora Molinaro (TENN) def. Ansley Cheshire (UA) 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6,3,4
Doubles
1. #17 Daria Kuczer/Tenika McGiffin (TENN) def. Petra Sedlackova/Anna Parkhomenko (UA) 6-3
2. #76 Rebeka Mertena/Esther Adeshina (TENN) def. Ola Pitak/Kasia Pitak (UA) 6-2
3. Anne Marie Hiser/Sydney Orefice (UA) vs. Elza Tomase/Kylie Duckworth (TENN) 5-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 2,1
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
6,3,4
Players Mentioned
