Alabama Women's Tennis Upsets No. 28 Tennessee
2/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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The No. 53 (ITA) Alabama women’s tennis team knocked off the 28th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (5-7, 1-1 SEC) Sunday in Knoxville, 4-3.
Sophomore Ashley Bentley clinched the match at No. 3 singles in dramatic fashion, overcoming four match points to win her seventh straight singles match, 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 (6). With the teams tied 3-3, Bentley and Blakeley Griffith went to a tiebreaker in the third set. Bentley trailed 6-2 and began cramping up before roaring back to win six straight points and clinch the match for the Tide.
“Ashley really stepped up and took over today,” said Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz. “Everyone rallied around her and this is a big win.”
Bentley and sophomore Robin Stephenson clinched the doubles point at No. 1 with a 9-8 victory over Tennessee’s Tammy Encina and Melissa Schaub. Stephenson, fresh off her upset of Georgia’s top ranked Agata Cioroch, made her conference-opening weekend perfect with an upset of No. 27 Encina at No. 1 singles. Stephenson was 4-0 in singles and doubles play on the weekend.
The win is the first victory for Alabama (5-4, 1-1 SEC) over Tennessee since a 5-4 win over the Vols in 1997 and the first under Mainz.
“We’ve had our share of obstacles and injuries,” Mainz said. “But we need to be ready when the opportunities are there. Tennessee competed well, but we believed in each other and took our opportunity.”
Alabama will return home for the next five matches, beginning Friday when the Tide hosts the No. 30 Ole Miss Rebels. Alabama will then play Mississippi State on Sunday.
Complete Match Results Follow:
No. 53 Alabama 4, No. 28 Tennessee 3
Doubles:
1. Robin Stephenson/Ashley Bentley (UA) d. Tammy Encina/Melissa Schaub (UT), 9-8
2. Millie Begovic/Melissa Minor (UA) d. Majen Immink/Breanna Kray (UT), 8-5
3. Blakeley Griffith/Sabita Maharaj (UT) d. Nathalie Koppelle/Mari Muller (UA), 8-1
Singles:
1. Stephenson (UA) d. No. 27 Encina (UT), 6-3, 6-0
2. No. 62 Maharaj (UT) d. Koppelle (UA), 6-2, 6-2
*3. Bentley (UA) d. Griffith (UT), 7-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6)
4. Immink (UT) d. Begovic (UA) 6-4, 7-5
5. Victoria Jones (UT) d. Minor (UA), 6-0, 6-1
6. Muller (UA) d. Schaub (UT), 6-1, 6-2
*Clinched Match
