University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, January 9
Knoxville, Tenn.
8 a.m. ET Doubles // 12:30 p.m. ET Singles
University of Tennessee
vs
UT Invite
#16 Lady Vols to Open Spring Slate with UT Invite
January 08, 2026 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee women's tennis team is set to open the 2026 spring season this weekend, as it hosts the UT Invite.
"Our team practiced our pre-match drills today and the energy we all felt was that of extreme excitement," Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. "Our players work so hard because they love to compete and the time has finally come!
"This weekend, we will host three of the best teams in the country," Ojeda continued." "It will provide many opportunities for us to see what adjustments we need to make before we start our regular season on January 17."
The No. 16 Lady Vols will see matchups with players from No. 18 Vanderbilt, No. 25 Baylor and Arizona State. Over the three days of action, each team will play six singles matches and three doubles sets against each of its three opponents. A complete schedule of competition can be found below.
Events at Barksdale Stadium and Goodfriend Tennis Center are free to attend, and all seating is general admission.
Fans can stream the UT Invite HERE, as well as follow along with live stats HERE.
Though the weekend's matches will count towards players' individual records and factor into ITA's rankings, the matches will not count as team duals or factor into the participating teams' overall records. Tennessee will begin its regular season on Jan. 17 when it hosts Wake Forest.
Preseason Storylines
Trio of Top Duos
In the ITA's Nov. 25 preseason individual rankings, the Lady Vols saw three doubles pairs ranked inside the top 36, becoming one of just two teams in the nation to have three duos ranked that high, including the only one in the Southeastern Conference.
Leading the way are seniors Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso, who were tabbed at No. 15. The duo reached the final of the ITA Regionals doubles bracket this fall and were selected as an alternate for the NCAA individual tournament. They went 7-4 in ITA event matches this fall.
Francesca Mattioli and Maeve Thornton slotted in at No. 25 in their first appearance in the rankings as a pairing. The duo debuted at the ITA Regionals this fall and dominated their way to the semifinals before taking the then-No. 12 pairing in the nation to three sets in the semifinal match. They were then selected as the SEC Representative in the ITA Conference Masters Championships.
"We have been putting in so much work over the winter break and in the preseason and now we are ready to start competing." Thornton said ahead of the UT Invite. "Our team just loves to compete with and for each other, which is what we've been waiting for all year! I'm so excited to see what the spring season brings and I can't wait to be out there competing alongside everyone again."
The No. 36 pairing of Vanesa Suarez and Saray Yli-Piipari ascended to national prominence this summer, winning ITA's National Summer Championships. The duo made respectable runs in the ITA All-American and Regional fields, before ultimately earning a selection to ITA Sectionals and winning that event's consolation bracket.
Elim's Emergence
Elim Yan's selection as the nation's No. 82 singles player in the Nov. 25 update marked her first time making the solos list. The selection came after a breakout fall slate for the Australian, who went 4-1 at the All-American Championships, advancing out of the pre-qualifying draw in her first competition of the season. She went on to make a run to the round of 16 at the ITA Regionals and ultimately compiled a 7-4 record on the season.
"We are all so excited for this season to start," Yan said. "Everyone has put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to improve their game, so we are ready and can't wait to compete!"
Her impressive showings in the fall came after she competed in singles for the Lady Vols just four times in the 2025 dual season as a freshman.
Standout Senior
Lady Vol senior Leyla Britez Risso established herself among the top competitors in the country this fall, posting 8-5 singles and 7-4 doubles records. She reached the semifinals and third-place match at ITA Regionals and then went to the quarterfinals and playoff semifinals at ITA Sectionals, before ultimately being named an alternate for the NCAA individual singles tournament.
She currently sits as the Lady Vols top-ranked entry, earning the No. 26 spot on ITA's singles rankings and the No. 15 spot on the doubles list, alongside Catherine Aulia.
"Our team practiced our pre-match drills today and the energy we all felt was that of extreme excitement," Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. "Our players work so hard because they love to compete and the time has finally come!
"This weekend, we will host three of the best teams in the country," Ojeda continued." "It will provide many opportunities for us to see what adjustments we need to make before we start our regular season on January 17."
The No. 16 Lady Vols will see matchups with players from No. 18 Vanderbilt, No. 25 Baylor and Arizona State. Over the three days of action, each team will play six singles matches and three doubles sets against each of its three opponents. A complete schedule of competition can be found below.
Details for our opening weekend! ⬇️#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/kZAs8c5YLK
— Tennessee Women's Tennis (@Vol_WTennis) January 7, 2026
Events at Barksdale Stadium and Goodfriend Tennis Center are free to attend, and all seating is general admission.
Fans can stream the UT Invite HERE, as well as follow along with live stats HERE.
Though the weekend's matches will count towards players' individual records and factor into ITA's rankings, the matches will not count as team duals or factor into the participating teams' overall records. Tennessee will begin its regular season on Jan. 17 when it hosts Wake Forest.
Preseason Storylines
Trio of Top Duos
In the ITA's Nov. 25 preseason individual rankings, the Lady Vols saw three doubles pairs ranked inside the top 36, becoming one of just two teams in the nation to have three duos ranked that high, including the only one in the Southeastern Conference.
Leading the way are seniors Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso, who were tabbed at No. 15. The duo reached the final of the ITA Regionals doubles bracket this fall and were selected as an alternate for the NCAA individual tournament. They went 7-4 in ITA event matches this fall.
Francesca Mattioli and Maeve Thornton slotted in at No. 25 in their first appearance in the rankings as a pairing. The duo debuted at the ITA Regionals this fall and dominated their way to the semifinals before taking the then-No. 12 pairing in the nation to three sets in the semifinal match. They were then selected as the SEC Representative in the ITA Conference Masters Championships.
"We have been putting in so much work over the winter break and in the preseason and now we are ready to start competing." Thornton said ahead of the UT Invite. "Our team just loves to compete with and for each other, which is what we've been waiting for all year! I'm so excited to see what the spring season brings and I can't wait to be out there competing alongside everyone again."
The No. 36 pairing of Vanesa Suarez and Saray Yli-Piipari ascended to national prominence this summer, winning ITA's National Summer Championships. The duo made respectable runs in the ITA All-American and Regional fields, before ultimately earning a selection to ITA Sectionals and winning that event's consolation bracket.
Elim's Emergence
Elim Yan's selection as the nation's No. 82 singles player in the Nov. 25 update marked her first time making the solos list. The selection came after a breakout fall slate for the Australian, who went 4-1 at the All-American Championships, advancing out of the pre-qualifying draw in her first competition of the season. She went on to make a run to the round of 16 at the ITA Regionals and ultimately compiled a 7-4 record on the season.
"We are all so excited for this season to start," Yan said. "Everyone has put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to improve their game, so we are ready and can't wait to compete!"
Her impressive showings in the fall came after she competed in singles for the Lady Vols just four times in the 2025 dual season as a freshman.
Standout Senior
Lady Vol senior Leyla Britez Risso established herself among the top competitors in the country this fall, posting 8-5 singles and 7-4 doubles records. She reached the semifinals and third-place match at ITA Regionals and then went to the quarterfinals and playoff semifinals at ITA Sectionals, before ultimately being named an alternate for the NCAA individual singles tournament.
She currently sits as the Lady Vols top-ranked entry, earning the No. 26 spot on ITA's singles rankings and the No. 15 spot on the doubles list, alongside Catherine Aulia.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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