Women’s Tennis Central: NCAA Knoxville Regional

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Hosting its first NCAA Regional since 2011, the 15th-seeded Tennessee women's tennis team gears up for the 2023 NCAA Team Championship First and Second Rounds which will be played on Friday and Saturday at Barksdale Stadium.

The Lady Volunteers (19-5, 11-2 SEC) look for their 20th victory of the season in what has been a magical year on Rocky Top. The team posted the most Southeastern Conference victories in program history and boast three First Team All-SEC performers in Daria Kuczer, Rebeka Mertena and Elza Tomase, as well as the 2023 SEC Co-Coach of the Year Alison Ojeda.

The Knoxville regional showcases Tennessee, Arizona State, Wake Forest and Ohio Valley Conference champion Southeast Missouri.

Tickets for the championship can be found HERE and are $5 for entrance to all matches for the day. Parking is available at the G-17 parking garage off Terrace and Lake Ave.

Live streaming of the action can be found on Playsight by clicking HERE, and the matches will be broadcast by Cracked Racquets on NCAA.com. Live stats for the event can be located HERE.

All information regarding the 2023 NCAA Knoxville Regional is housed on the tournament central page which can be located HERE.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, May 5
Match 1 – Arizona State vs. Wake Forest – 1 p.m. ET
Match 2 – Tennessee vs. SEMO – 4 p.m. ET

Saturday, May 6
Match 3 – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 – 4 p.m. ET

HEAD COACH ALISON OJEDA
"It has been a long time since Lady Vol Nation has been able to support our team in-person for the first two rounds. Please plan on coming out for a few hours of tennis this weekend, our team will thrive on your presence."

"The SEC has really prepared us well and our squad is ready to compete. We all share the feeling that we have worked hard, put in the time on-court and that we are ready to go."

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
SEMO (17-2, 5-0 OVC) enters the tournament on a fantastic run, having won 16 consecutive matches. The Redhawks went 5-0 in conference play and breezed through their conference tournament, dominating both of their matches by a combined score of 8-2.

The team was well-represented on the end-of-season OVC awards as Daniela Hlacikova was named Player of the Year after a 14-3 dual season. Two singles players earned first team honors in Romana Tarajova and Ksenia Shikanova and two more garnered second team acclaim in Vivian Lai and Teona Velkoska. On the doubles side, Shikanova and Tarajova made the All-Doubles laurels.

CHECK IN ON THE RANKINGS
With the end of season rankings, and teams coming from out of conference, below are the ITA team and individual rankings for each of the four teams in the Knoxville regional.

#14 Tennessee Lady Volunteers
Singles
#21 Elza Tomase
#27 Rebeka Mertena
#48 Daria Kuczer

Doubles
#45 Esther Adeshina/Rebeka Mertena

#23 Arizona State Sun Devils
Singles
#101 Chelsea Fontenel

Doubles
#20 Domenika Turkovic/Patricija Spaka

#30 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Singles
#57 Casie Wooten
#73 Anna Brylin

Doubles
#24 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth

REGIONAL HISTORY
Tennessee has hosted eight regionals in program history, with 2023 marking the first since 2011. The Lady Volunteers last advanced beyond the First and Second Rounds in 2010. This season also marks the first time the Lady Vols are hosting a regional in the Alison Ojeda era. UT has made the tournament every single season since she was named the head coach prior to the 2017 dual season.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Friday's matchup will mark the first all-time meeting between Tennessee and SEMO.

For potential second round matchups, the Lady Vols are 16-16 against Wake Forest, owning a 10-5 record against the Demon Deacons on Rocky Top. Tennessee has faced Arizona State just once in program history, falling in 1990, 6-3, in Tempe.

PUNCHING THE TICKET TO ORLANDO
All three ranked singles players for the Lady Vols were selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Singles Championships, happening later this month in Orlando, Florida, on the USTA National Campus. Rebeka Mertena, Elza Tomase and Daria Kuczer will begin play following the finish of the team championships the final weekend of May.