April 2, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 20 Kentucky women’s tennis team (11-5 overall, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) enters its final stretch of conference play, hosting No. 27 Ole Miss (9-6, 2-4 SEC) and No. 61 Mississippi State (9-5, 0-5 SEC) this weekend. The Wildcats will take on the Rebels at noon on Friday, April 3, and then face the Bulldogs in a noon contest the following Sunday, April 5, at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.

Kentucky split last weekend’s matches, upsetting No. 17 Alabama 4-3 in Tuscaloosa, but then falling to No. 31 Auburn, 5-2, in Lexington. The home loss was just Kentucky’s second, having won eight others on its own court. This week will not only give the Wildcats a rest from the road, but gives UK a chance to rack up more conference wins before the championship at the end of the month.

Ole Miss is coming off a 5-2 loss to South Carolina in Columbia. The Wildcats hold an 18-15 advantage over the Rebels. The Bulldogs are 0-5 in the SEC and will face Vanderbilt before arriving in Lexington. Kentucky boasts an impressive 28-3 overall series record against MSU.

Freshman Caroline Lilley of the Wildcats currently leads the team in singles and doubles, as well as SEC play. Lilley holds a 12-3 singles mark, 4-2 in the SEC and is 8-3 with partner senior Carolina Escamilla. The No. 40 tandem has boasted wins against three ranked opponents, including a top-20 Arkansas team. Kentucky is 9-2 when the duo wins. The Cats have also seen success at court three with Whitney Spencer and Lauren Meier who are undefeated in conference matches.

The Wildcats will conclude their season with matches against three top-20 institutions. Kentucky faces No. 13 Tennessee and No. 2 Georgia, both on the road, before returning home to host No. 19 Vanderbilt. The SEC Tournament is the following week in Fayetteville, Ark.