University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, February 21
Knoxville, Tenn.
1 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
4
vs
0
Kentucky
Photo by: Peyton Collimore/Tennessee Athletics
#9 Lady Vols Sweep Wildcats to open SEC Action
February 21, 2026 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 9 Tennessee women's tennis team (5-1, 1-0) earned the win in their first SEC matchup of the season Saturday, downing the Kentucky Wildcats (8-2, 0-1) at Barksdale Stadium.
"This team loves to compete," Tennessee Head Coach Alison Ojeda said following her team's first match in nearly two weeks. "We love training… but coming out on the court and competing, that's what they do for each other."
The Lady Vols move to 32-19 in the all-time series with the Wildcats, including wins in each of the last six contest between the two programs.
In doubles play, The Lady Vol Tandems of Francesca Mattioli/Vanesa Suarez on court two and Maeve Thornton/Saray Yli-Piipari on court three each logged decisive wins to earn the doubles point. After trading breaks to open the frame, the Lady Vols on court two won each of the last three games to claim a 6-3 win. On court three, the duo donning orange earned abreak in the first game, and maintained their early momentum, ultimately claiming a 6-2 set win. Tennessee has now won the doubles point in it's last two matches, after a 1-3 ledger in doubles points to start the season.
"Having a good relationship with who you're on court with, [on or off] the court," Mattioli said of the key to her and Suarez's success. "you've got to be on top of every point, because it goes so fast."
In Singles play, the Lady Vols earned wins on courts two, three, and five to seal the sweep. No. 61 Catherine Aulia was the first off the court in the singles round, snatching a 6-3, 6-0 win on court three.
"[Cat] is just so focused," Ojeda said of Catherine Aulia. "she's just so focused and she's always going to come with intensity."
Lady Vol Sophomore Saray Yli-Piipari made court five the next point for Tennessee, earning a 6-2, 6-2 win. Afte3r trading breaks to open the first set at 2-2, the Lithonia, Ga. native cruised to wins of the next four games. The second set unfolded in the exact same fashion.
No. 25 Leyla Britez Risso clinched the match for Tennessee with her 6-0, 6-3 win over Kentucky's No. Zoe Hammond on court two. The Senior raced to a flawless first set, surrendering just seven total points across the six games, with Hammond reaching the 30-mark in a game just once in the first stanza. In the second set, the Wildcat earned a break to go up 3-2, but the Tennessee Senior halted any momentum by winning the next four games to hand the Lady Vols their fourth dual point.
Britez Risso is a stunning 8-0 in singles play in the spring, including the UT Invite which was not a part of the dual season. The top-ranked singles player on Tennessee squad, the native of Asunción, Paraguay has emerged as a steady presence atop the Lady Vol Lineup.
Three courts went unfinished, including court one where Suarez had claimed a hard-fought, 7-6 (5) win of the first set before the dual was sealed. Mattioli won her first set 6-0 on court four, before falling behind 5-1 in the second and ultimately clawing back to a 5-4 mark with serve before the match concluded.
Tennessee returns to action Thursday, as it travels to Starkville, Miss., for its first true road matchup of the dual season.
"This team loves to compete," Tennessee Head Coach Alison Ojeda said following her team's first match in nearly two weeks. "We love training… but coming out on the court and competing, that's what they do for each other."
The Lady Vols move to 32-19 in the all-time series with the Wildcats, including wins in each of the last six contest between the two programs.
In doubles play, The Lady Vol Tandems of Francesca Mattioli/Vanesa Suarez on court two and Maeve Thornton/Saray Yli-Piipari on court three each logged decisive wins to earn the doubles point. After trading breaks to open the frame, the Lady Vols on court two won each of the last three games to claim a 6-3 win. On court three, the duo donning orange earned abreak in the first game, and maintained their early momentum, ultimately claiming a 6-2 set win. Tennessee has now won the doubles point in it's last two matches, after a 1-3 ledger in doubles points to start the season.
"Having a good relationship with who you're on court with, [on or off] the court," Mattioli said of the key to her and Suarez's success. "you've got to be on top of every point, because it goes so fast."
In Singles play, the Lady Vols earned wins on courts two, three, and five to seal the sweep. No. 61 Catherine Aulia was the first off the court in the singles round, snatching a 6-3, 6-0 win on court three.
"[Cat] is just so focused," Ojeda said of Catherine Aulia. "she's just so focused and she's always going to come with intensity."
Lady Vol Sophomore Saray Yli-Piipari made court five the next point for Tennessee, earning a 6-2, 6-2 win. Afte3r trading breaks to open the first set at 2-2, the Lithonia, Ga. native cruised to wins of the next four games. The second set unfolded in the exact same fashion.
No. 25 Leyla Britez Risso clinched the match for Tennessee with her 6-0, 6-3 win over Kentucky's No. Zoe Hammond on court two. The Senior raced to a flawless first set, surrendering just seven total points across the six games, with Hammond reaching the 30-mark in a game just once in the first stanza. In the second set, the Wildcat earned a break to go up 3-2, but the Tennessee Senior halted any momentum by winning the next four games to hand the Lady Vols their fourth dual point.
Britez Risso is a stunning 8-0 in singles play in the spring, including the UT Invite which was not a part of the dual season. The top-ranked singles player on Tennessee squad, the native of Asunción, Paraguay has emerged as a steady presence atop the Lady Vol Lineup.
Three courts went unfinished, including court one where Suarez had claimed a hard-fought, 7-6 (5) win of the first set before the dual was sealed. Mattioli won her first set 6-0 on court four, before falling behind 5-1 in the second and ultimately clawing back to a 5-4 mark with serve before the match concluded.
Tennessee returns to action Thursday, as it travels to Starkville, Miss., for its first true road matchup of the dual season.
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
#1 Singles Match
12
Julia Zhu / 0 [UK]
60
7UF
#2 Singles Match
12
Zoe Hammond / 0 [UK]
03
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Reese Sager / 0 [UK]
30
66
#4 Singles Match
123
Asuncion Jadue / 0 [UK]
050
64UF
#5 Singles Match
12
Elena Molla / 0 [UK]
22
66
#6 Singles Match
123
Donna Le Roux / 0 [UK]
720
52UF
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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