Kentucky Sweeps Ohio Valley Regional Titles for Second Consecutive Season

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – For the second consecutive year, the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team won both the singles and doubles titles at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Ohio Valley Regional Championships on Monday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Junior Justina Mikulskyte brought home the singles title, while Mami Adachi and Akvile Paražinskaite teamed up to win the doubles draw.
 
“I am proud of our team,” said head coach Carlos Drada. “They continue to buy into our philosophies and continue to play with joy and mental toughness. It is not an easy feat to win singles and doubles regionals two-straight years against some of the best teams in the nation.”
 
Mikulskyte took the singles crown over Purdue’s Sylvia Ambrosio in the finals. After a hard fought 7-6 (9) win in the first set, Mikulskyte carried the momentum through to the second set to seal the win and the title in straight sets.
 
In an epic doubles title match, which pitted two Kentucky doubles teams against each other, No. 13 Adachi/Paražinskaite held on to defeat their teammates Mikulskyte and Lesedi Jacobs, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8.
 
Last season, Kentucky saw similar success as Mikulskyte and Jacobs won the doubles crown and then-senior Aldila Sutjiadi won the singles title to earn entrance to the UTSA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.
 
Not only did the Wildcats win the titles this year, they were dominant throughout the entire tournament. Five individuals advanced to at least the singles round of 16, with three in the quarterfinals and two in the semifinals.
 
“This is a team effort and I hope we continue to take the necessary steps to be tough national contenders in the spring,” added Drada.
 
With the wins, Adachi, Paražinskaite and Mikulskyte earn automatic qualification for the 2017 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, which will be held in Indian Wells, California, Nov. 1-5. The event, which serves as the conclusion of the fall collegiate tennis season, will include 128 of the nation’s top collegiate singles players (64 men and 64 women) and 64 doubles teams (32 men’s teams and 32 women’s teams). The event replaces the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.
 
Agate
ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships
Oct. 12-16, 2016
Adams Tennis Complex – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
 
Monday
Main Draw Singles
Finals
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Sylvia Ambrosio (Purdue), 7-6 (9), 6-3
 
Main Draw Doubles
Finals
No. 13 Mami Adachi/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs (UK), 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
 
Sunday
Main Draw Singles
Semifinals
Sylvia Ambrosio (Purdue) def. Mami Adachi (UK), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Amanda Meyer (Vanderbilt), 6-4, 7-6 (2)
 
Main Draw Doubles
Semifinals
No. 13 Mami Adachi/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Sadie Hammond/Gabby Shuck (Tennessee), 6-3, 7-6 (1)
Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Emily Smith/Emma Kurtz (Vanderbilt), 4-6, 7-6 (8), 10-8
 
Saturday
Main Draw Singles
Quarterfinals
Mami Adachi (UK) def. No. 112 Emma Kurtz (Vanderbilt), 4-6, 7-6 (5)
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Caitlin Bernard (Indiana), 6-3, 6-1
Amanda Meyer (Vanderbilt) def. No. 119 Emily Fanning (UK), 6-3, 6-1
 
Round of 16
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. No. 88 Ionna Markesini (ETSU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
Mami Adachi (UK) def. Sadie Hammond (Tennessee), 6-2, 6-3
No. 119 Emily Fanning (UK) def. Mariana Humberg (Louisville), 7-5, 6-0
Sylvia Ambrosio (Purdue) def. No. 53 Akvile Paražinskaite (UK), 6-3, 6-2
Amanda Meyer (Vanderbilt) def. Lesedi Jacobs (UK), 1-6, 7-5, 5-2, ret.
 
Main Draw Doubles
Quarterfinals
No. 13 Mami Adachi/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Ariadna Riley/Chelsea Sawyer (Tennessee), 8-3
Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Claudia Yanes Garcia/Lidia Yanes Garcia (Austin Peay), 8-1
 
Friday
Main Draw Singles
Round of 32
No. 53 Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Gabby Shuck (Tennessee), 6-2, 7-5
Mami Adachi (UK) def. Natalie Whalen (Indiana), 6-3, 6-2
No. 119 Emily Fanning (UK) def. Johanna Silva (Tennessee), 6-2, 6-3
Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Claudia Yanes Garcia (Austin Peay), 6-3, 6-2
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Maria Koo (NKU), 6-2, 6-1
Caitlin Bernard (Indiana) def. Isabel Iglesias Prieto (UK), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
 
Round of 64
No. 53 Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Cindy Oest (WKU), 7-5, 6-2
Mami Adachi (UK) def. Viktorija Demecenkova (EKU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 119 Emily Fanning (UK) def. Sophia Abelson (Xavier), 6-3, 6-2
Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Nelli Ponomareva (Miami-OH), 7-5, 7-5
Isabel Iglesias Prieto (UK) def. Rachel Reichenback (Xavier), 6-2, 6-0
Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Katherine Cao (Memphis), 6-1, 6-3
 
Main Draw Doubles
Round of 16
No. 13 Mami Adachi/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Antonella Bramato/Anna Philp (Cincinatti), 8-5
Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Miceli/Coutino (Cincinatti), 8-6
 
Thursday
Main Draw Singles
Round of 128
Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Jayde Viccars (ETSU), 6-1. 6-0
Isabel Iglesias Prieto (UK) def. Priyana Kalita (Miami-OH), 6-4, 6-2
 
Main Draw Doubles
Round of 32
No. 13 Mami Adachi/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Karoline Haller/Hailey Morgan (Wright State), 8-4
Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Delaney Edwards/Bogdana Zaporozhets (UT-Chatt), 8-2
Ioana Guna/Caroline Morton (Cincinnati) def. Emily Fanning/Isabel Iglesias Prieto (UK), 8-7 (1)
 
Round of 64
Emily Fanning/Isabel Iglesias Prieto (UK) def. Margita Sunjic/Maria Koo (NKU), 8-4
 
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKWomensTennis and on the web at UKathletics.com.