Alabama Women's Tennis Falls to Vanderbilt on the Road
3/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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The 22nd-ranked University of Alabama didn’t fare well on the road Friday afternoon, dropping a 7-0 match to the No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville.
With the loss, the Crimson Tide drops to 9-6 (4-3 SEC) on the season while Vanderbilt improved to 16-2 (5-1 SEC).
“Vanderbilt played very well and they are a good team. They certainly deserve credit,” Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz said. “I think we got out-played today and out-coached. They were more ready for us that we were for them.
“We’re disappointed but we know that we have to get right back up and we have a big match to play Sunday. There’s no time in this conference to sit around and sulk. We need to be up and ready Sunday because Kentucky will be ready for us.”
After capturing the doubles point with 8-4 pro-set wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, the ‘Dores won at Nos. 3-5 singles to seal the match. Vanderbilt’s Aleke Tsoubanos clinched the match with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over UA’s Millie Begovic.
The match snapped Ashley Bentley’s 12-match winning streak as well as Robin Stephenson’s string of six straight wins. The pair’s doubles loss was their first in the past nine doubles matches.
Alabama faces another top flight Southeastern Conference opponent on Sunday, facing No. 18 Kentucky in Lexington at noon.
Alabama 0, Vanderbilt 7
Doubles
1. Schmandt/Tsoubanos (VU) d. Bentley/Stephenson (UA) 8-4
2. Falk/Fish (VU) d. Minor/Koppelle (UA) 8-4
3. Schellhas/Stephens (VU) d. Begovic/Muller (UA) 8-7 (4)
Singles
1. Audra Falk (VU) d. Robin Stephenson (UA) 7-5, 7-6 (5)
2. Kelly Schmandt (VU) d. Ashley Bentley (UA) 7-5, 7-5
3. Amanda Fish (VU) d. Nathalie Koppelle (UA) 6-0, 6-2
4. Aleke Tsoubanos (VU) d. Millie Begovic (UA) 6-2, 7-5
5. Ashley Schellhas (VU) d. Melissa Minor (UA) 6-0, 6-3
6. Helene Stephens (VU) d. Mari Muller (UA) 7-5, 3-6, (10-8)
Order of finish: Doubles 1-2-3 Singles: 5-3-4-6-2-1
