CLEMSON, S.C. ? The No. 20 Kentucky women?s tennis team advanced to the round of 32 for the sixth straight season Friday after blanking No. 64 Furman 4-0 at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center in Clemson, S.C. The Cats will face 15th-ranked Clemson, the regional host, Saturday at 11 a.m. EDT for the right to advance to Stanford, Calif., for the round 16 on May 18.
UK (18-9, 8-3 Southeastern Conference) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point against the Paladins and never looked back. At the top spot in the lineup, the Cats? No. 27 team of junior Kim Coventry and freshman Carolina Escamilla claimed the first match 8-2 over Furman?s Laura Gioia and Marti Morris. Kentucky clinched the point at No. 2 when juniors Lara Maurer and Joelle Schwenk outlasted Furman?s Jacqueline Eckert and Lauren Osborne 8-6. The Wildcats are now 16-1 when they win the doubles point.
Kentucky continued to pour it on against the Paladins by winning three straight singles matches to advance to the round of 32.
Escamilla captured UK?s first singles win by quickly dispatching Furman?s Bonnie Baird 6-0, 6-2, at the No. 5 slot. The victory was the 16th on the season for the Medellin, Colombia, native.
UK senior and second team All-SEC performer Danielle Petrisko put the Wildcats up 3-0 by beating Furman?s Shannon Moore at the No. 4 hole. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native defeated Moore handily 6-0, 6-2.
The match was clinched when Schwenk, a first team All-SEC selection, made quick work of Osborne 6-1, 6-0. The victory was the Coconut Creek, Fla., native?s 23rd on the season.
?We played a really great match today,? head coach Carlos Drada said. ?I am proud of the entire team. They displayed a lot of positive energy. I believe we are prepared and eager to play a great match tomorrow.?
Kentucky will return to the courts at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday to battle Clemson (17-7). The Tigers advanced Friday after defeating Siena 4-0. The match will be the first meeting between the two schools since last February when UK upset then No. 3 Clemson 5-2 in the opening round of the ITA National Indoor Championships. The Wildcats own the 6-3 advantage all-time in the match ups between the two programs. Fans can check ukathletics.com for live stats and a recap following the match?s conclusion.
No. 20 UK def. No. 64 Furman 4-0
Doubles
1. #27 Kim Coventry/Carolina Escamilla (UK) def. Laura Gioia/Marti Morris (FU), 8-2
2. Lara Maurer/Joelle Schwenk (UK) def. Jacqueline Eckert/Lauren Osborne (FU), 8-6
3. Danielle Petrisko/Caroline Winebrenner (UK) vs. Shannon Moore/Lisa Bornt-Davis (FU), dnf
Order of Finish 1, 2
Singles
1. #49 Kim Coventry (UK) vs. Laura Gioia (FU), dnf
2. Lara Maurer (UK) vs. Marti Morris (FU), dnf
3. Joelle Schwenk (UK) def. Lauren Osborne (FU), 6-1, 6-0*
4. Danielle Petrisko (UK) def. Shannon Moore (FU), 6-0, 6-2
5. Carolina Escamilla (UK) def. Bonnie Baird (FU), 6-0, 6-2
6. Jessica Guiggioli (UK) vs. Lauren Tomory (FU), dnf
Order of Finish 5, 4, 3
