University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Wake Forest
Women’s Tennis Central: #18 Lady Vols at Wake Forest, East Carolina
January 16, 2025 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 18 women's tennis team is gearing up for its first dual matches of the spring, as it travels to the Wake Forest Tennis Center for Saturday outings against both Wake Forest and East Carolina. The squad will face the Demon Deacons at 10 a.m., followed by the Pirates at 2 p.m.
The Lady Vols opened their spring slate at the Texas Invitational, notching eight singles wins and four doubles victories. The two-day tournament was a hidden dual format, allowing teams to gain experience before the dual season kicks off.
Tennessee's strong 2025 lineup features five ranked singles players and a ranked doubles team. The squad brings back experienced veterans, including Elza Tomase, Catherine Aulia, and Leyla Britez Risso. Two newcomers Maeve Thornton and Vanesa Suarez are set to make their Tennessee dual match debuts. Additionally, the team has added five freshmen in Conley Raidt, Natalia Perez, Saray Yli-Piipari, Francesca Mattioli and Elim Yan, all of whom are expected to contribute immediately.
Lives stats can be found here and a live stream link can be found here for Saturday's doubleheader.
Lady Vols in the Rankings:
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced on Jan. 6 that the squad is No. 18 in the first poll of 2025. The following members of the team were ranked in the final fall ITA individual poll posted on Dec. 3, 2024:
Singles
No. 10 Elza Tomase
No. 19 Catherine Aulia
No. 54 Vanesa Suarez
No. 106 Leyla Britez Risso
Doubles
No. 29 Elza Tomase & Catherine Aulia
Scouting the Demon Deacons: Tennessee leads the all-time series against Wake Forest, 19-16. The Lady Volunteers have won the past six meetings, each in the Alison Ojeda era. The most recent meeting between the two sides was last year, when the Lady Vols earned a 6-1 victory on Jan. 21, 2024, in Knoxville. Wake Forest has the No. 44-ranked pair of Kady Tannenbaum and Nevena Carton.
Scouting the Pirates: The Lady Vols will meet the Pirates for the first time in program history on Saturday.
A full schedule for Saturday's events can be found below.
Saturday:
Tennessee vs. Wake Forest, 10 a.m.
Tennessee vs. East Carolina, 2 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on all things Lady Vol Tennis, follow @Vol_WTennis on X and Instagram or on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
