Women’s Tennis Central: Knoxville Regional

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 10th-ranked Tennessee women's tennis team is set to host the 2025 NCAA Team Championship First and Second Rounds for the third consecutive year. The matches will be played on Friday and Saturday at Barksdale Stadium.

The Knoxville Regional showcases No. 10 Tennessee, No. 26 Pepperdine, No. 37 Wake Forest and Elon.

The Lady Vols (17-7, 10-5 SEC) have posted 15 or more wins for the eighth time under ninth-year head coach Alison Ojeda. This is also the eighth consecutive NCAA tournament bid for the Big Orange, as they have made the cut every season under Ojeda's leadership.

Heading into postseason play, senior Elza Tomase and junior Leyla Britez Risso lead the team in singles wins, recording 14 apiece. In her final season atop the lineup, Tomase has knocked off eight ranked foes, including No. 3 DJ Bennett from Auburn. Britez Risso holds a 14-3 ledger, the best on the team, delivering an undefeated record at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the lineup.

In doubles play, Tennessee has taken the opening point 15 times. The pair of Catherine Aulia and Britez Risso has shined together, posting a 13-3 overall record, including a 10-1 mark in SEC play. The two kicked off the dual season on an eight-match win streak and have posted their highest-ranked takedown against Vanderbilt's No. 14-ranked pair of Celia-Belle Mohr and Sophia Webster.

Tennessee capped off the regular season defeating 13 ranked opponents, recording wins against No. 15 Ohio State, No. 15 Pepperdine, No.4 Stanford, No. 67 Kentucky, No. 71 Ole Miss, No. 25 South Carolina, No. 70 Arkansas, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 25 Alabama, No. 64 Mississippi State, No. 15 Texas, No. 34 Florida and No. 71 Missouri. Six of those results are against top-25 foes, including five over top-15 teams.

Live streaming of the action can be found on Playsight by clicking HERE. Live stats for the event can be located HERE.

Weekend Schedule:

Friday, May 2

Match 1 – Pepperdine vs. Wake Forest – 1 p.m. ET

Match 2 – Tennessee vs. Elon – 4 p.m. ET

Saturday, May 3

Match 3 – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 – 4 p.m. ET

All matches are scheduled to be played outdoors at Barksdale Stadium.

SCOUTING THE PHOENIX

Elon (19-5, 10-2 CAA) enters the tournament on a fantastic run, having won its last eight matches. The Phoenix claimed the 2025 CAA Championship, dominating both matches by a combined score of 8-2.

The Lady Vols have never played Elon before this upcoming weekend. The last time the Big Orange played a CAA foe was against James Madison in 2021 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, when the Lady Vols posted a 4-0 victory in Charlottesville, Va.

REGIONAL HISTORY

Tennessee has hosted 10 regionals in program history, with 2025 marking the third straight year the Lady Vols have garnered a spot to host. The Lady Volunteers last advanced beyond the First and Second Rounds in 2024 and 2010. This season also marks the third time the Lady Vols are hosting a regional in the Alison Ojeda era. UT has made every tournament since she was named the head coach prior to the 2017 dual season.

A PEEK AT THE CHARTS: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced on April 22 that the squad is No. 10 in the twelfth poll of 2025. The following members of the team were ranked in the sixth spring ITA individual poll posted on April 22, 2025:

Singles

No. 7 Elza Tomase

No. 41 Catherine Aulia

No. 66 Leyla Britez Risso

Doubles

No. 30 Catherine Aulia & Leyla Britez Risso

No. 35 Elza Tomase & Maeve Thornton

No. 57 Elza Tomase & Elim Yan

No. 72 Elza Tomase & Catherine Aulia

No. 74 Elza Tomase & Saray Yli-Piipari

FAN CENTRAL

All matches are scheduled to be played outdoors at Barksdale Stadium. Tickets for the weekend can be found HERE.