Bama Women's Tennis Falls to Vanderbilt, 5-2
4/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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The 21st ranked University of Alabama women’s tennis team lost 5-2 to the 10th ranked Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday in Tuscaloosa. The loss dropped the Crimson Tide to 15-6 overall and 5-5 in the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores improved to 17-3 and 8-2 in the SEC.
“Vanderbilt did a great job of staying in the match,” UA head coach Jenny Mainz said. “They are a very experienced team.”
Vanderbilt claimed the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches. VU’s No. 1 ranked doubles combination of Aleke Tsoubanos and Sarah Riske clinched the doubles point at the number one doubles position defeating UA’s 53rd ranked tandem of Millie Begovic and Robin Stephenson 8-6.
“We expected to win today even after losing the doubles point,” Mainz said.
Rain then forced the singles matches into the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility. Bama came out fast in singles by winning all four first sets in the matches that were playing. However, Vanderbilt was able to battle back and took four of six singles matches to claim the 5-2 victory. Alabama was able to take four singles matches into three sets, but only was victorious in one of those. Vanderbilt’s Kelly Schmandt clinched the match for the Commodores with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Alabama’s Marie-France Lord-Andrade at number four singles.
“I am proud of this team,” Mainz said. “We fought hard and competed well. We left it all out on the court today.”
Alabama will finish up its regular season schedule on Sunday at home against Auburn at 1 p.m. The Crimson Tide will then travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, for the SEC Tournament April 18-20.
Results
No. 10 Vanderbilt- 5 No. 21 Alabama- 2
Doubles
1. (1) Riske/Tsoubanos (VU) def. (53) Begovic/Stephenson (UA) 8-6
2. (26) Falk/Schmandt (VU) def. Bentley/Cremers (UA) 8-4
3. Koppelle/Natalie McElveen (UA) def. Kori Scott/Menees (VU) 8-6
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. (11) Sarah Riske (VU) def. Sophie Cremers (UA) 1-6, 6-4, 6-0
2. (62) Aleke Tsoubanos (VU) def. (103) Millie Begovic (UA) 4-6, 6-3, 4-5 def.
3. Robin Stephenson (UA) def. Audra Falk (VU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Kelly Schmandt (VU) def. Marie-France Lord-Andrade (UA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4*
5. (96) Ashley Shellhas (VU) def. Ashley Bentley (UA) 7-6, 6-4
6. Nathalie Koppelle (UA) def. Annie Menees (VU) 6-4, 3-6, 10-2#
* clinched match
# ten-point tie-breaker played in place of a third set
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2, 4, 6, 5
