Sept. 10, 2009

Tournament Information and Day 2 Bracket

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Marking the start of tennis season for the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team is the SEC Fall Coaches Classic in Nashville, Tenn. Head coach Carlos Drada will be taking his team to host school Vanderbilt’s Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center courts to compete as individuals against fellow Southeastern Conference opponents. The three-day tournament runs from Fri., Sept. 11 to Sun., Sept. 13.

Six members of the Wildcat squad are set to attend. The tournament is the first of five fall tournaments members of the UK team are scheduled to participate in.

The event provides a fall showcase for SEC women’s tennis in which all 12 teams were ranked in the top-60, according to the May 22 final team Campbell’s/Intercollegiate Tennis Association College rankings. Ten teams finished last season ranked in the country’s top-30, including Kentucky at No. 25.

Junior Megan Broderick leads the Cats after earning a No. 77 ranking in the ITA preseason polls. Broderick, of Tampa, Fla., played the majority of last season at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions for the Wildcats. She played on the summer circuit earlier this year finding success in the Fifth Third Bank Tournament by knocking off three world-ranked opponents to enter the main draw.

Sophomore Caroline Lilley also played in the Lexington tournament after a successful rookie campaign, notching 15 singles wins while also being nationally ranked in doubles with graduate Carolina Escamilla. Broderick and Lilley had paired up in doubles during the Fifth Third to knock off the first seed of the main draw doubles before falling in the second round.

Rounding out the Blue and White group competing in Nashville are senior Christine Johnston, junior Lauren Meier, and sophomores Chane Hines and Minnette Pienaar. Johnston filed the second most wins for Kentucky last season with 14. Meier was a strong doubles force with partner Whitney Spencer after notching a 9-4 record. Hines and Pienaar saw limited action last season after joining UK’s squad in January.

Kentucky does not compete again in September and will return to the fall scene in October. The squad splits up when two attend the Riviera/ITA All-American tournament in Pacific Palisades, Calif., which starts on Oct. 9, and others return home to host the UK Fall Invitational Oct. 9-11.

Complete tournament information is available at www.vucommodores.com.