Setting the Scene
Lexington, Ky. ?The No. 28 Kentucky women?s tennis team (12-6) returns home this weekend for the first time since March 5, looking to improve on its 5-1 Southeastern Conference record against No. 25 Georgia and No. 22 Tennessee. The Cats are currently on a four-match winning streak, their best since they won five straight to open the dual match season. The match against the Bulldogs is slated to begin at 4 p.m. EST on Friday. The Cats will return to the courts on Sunday at noon EST to battle the Volunteers. Fans can check ukathletics.com for live stats and recaps throughout the weekend.
Scouting the Opponents
Georgia enters Friday?s match with a 9-6 record and is ranked 25th. The Bulldogs have reached as high as No. 6 this season in the ITA rankings. Georgia has gotten off to a 5-1 start in SEC play and is tied with UK for second place in the Eastern Division. The Dawgs come to Lexington riding a three-match winning streak.
The Volunteers are also currently 5-1 in SEC action and are tied for second place in the Eastern Division. Tennessee is 9-7 overall and has won four matches in a row. Eight of the Vols? nine wins have come against teams ranked in the top-70. UT will battle No. 12 Vanderbilt on Friday before traveling to face the Wildcats on Sunday.
Last Time Out
The Cats are coming off a tremendous weekend where they defeated both Mississippi State and No. 52 Ole Miss on the road. On Friday, the Cats blanked the Bulldogs 7-0. The win marked the third time this season UK defeated an opponent by a 7-0 score. At Ole Miss, UK was equally as dominant winning 6-1.
During the weekend?s matches, four Wildcats extended their current winning streaks. Freshmen Carolina Escamilla and Jessica Giuggioli each won their singles matches against MSU and Ole Miss to improve their winning streaks to seven matches. Senior Danielle Petrisko also notched a pair of victories extending her winning streak to six matches. Junior Joelle Schwenk is also riding a four-match winning streak after recording a pair of victories over the weekend.
Cats in the Rankings
Kentucky enters this weekend?s matches ranked 28th. Ten of the 12 Southeastern Conference teams are now ranked in the top-65.
Junior Kim Coventry is currently the Cats? lone ranked singles player at No. 39. The Melbourne, Australia, native has recorded 23 wins on the year. Coventry also teams with Schwenk to be the 43rd-ranked doubles team.
History
Georgia owns the 22-10 advantage in the series. Last season, the Cats won two matches against the Bulldogs including a 4-2 win at the SEC Championships.
With a victory on Sunday, the Cats will tie the series record with the Vols at 15-15. Last season, UK traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., and came away with a 4-3 win. The victory gave UK its first outright SEC Championship.
Next on Tap
The Cats will conclude the home portion of their schedule on April 7, against No. 34 South Carolina. The match will include senior day ceremonies for Petrisko. On April 9, Kentucky will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to battle the No. 7 Florida Gators.
