Alabama Begins Homestand With Pair of Top 10 Teams
3/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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The University of Alabama women’s tennis team will begin its longest homestand of the season this weekend as it hosts two top 10 teams in No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 5 Kentucky.
All six of the Tide’s remaining matches this season will be played at the UA Tennis Complex, five of which are Southeastern Conference matches. Alabama (6-9, 1-5) is 5-1 this season at home including two wins over teams ranked in the top 20.
Ashley Bentley and Robin Stephenson moved one win closer to the school’s all-time record for most career double’s wins. The duo’s win last Friday night in Columbia, S.C. was their 32nd win together, moving them to within one win of tying the record. The duo will have two chances this weekend to at least tie the record.
As a team, Alabama is in search of a conference win to snap its four-match SEC losing streak. However, grabbing a win this weekend against a pair of top ranked teams won’t be an easy task. Vanderbilt and Kentucky are a combined 11-1 in the SEC this season.
Vanderbilt (15-3, 5-1) will enter Friday’s match with three players ranked by the ITA. Andrea Falk is the Commodores top ranked player at No. 8. Faulk is 18-5 on the season and has been as high as No. 5 in the rankings.
Kentucky (17-3, 6-0) hasn’t lost in the SEC this season and will enter this weekend’s match with three individuals ranked in the ITA’ top 50 as well as two double’s teams in the top 20. Aibika Kalsarieva, ranked sixth in both singles and doubles, is the second highest ranked player in the conference and is having a tremendous season. She is 27-5 in singles and 24-5 in doubles.
Friday’s match with Vanderbilt is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. Sunday’s match will begin at Noon.
