The Kentucky women?s tennis team defeated both Richmond and Marshall on Saturday in their opening matches of the year in Huntington, W. Va. The Cats (2-0, 0-0 SEC) blanked the Spiders 7-0 and turned back the Thundering Herd 5-2 to give first-year head coach Carlos Drada his first victories at Kentucky.
?I?m extremely proud of our team,? Drada said. ?Our women showed a lot of professionalism during all their matches. I am very proud of how the women paid close attention to detail and executed their game plans.?
Kentucky dominated Richmond winning all six of their singles matches and all three of their doubles matches. Playing in the No. 1 singles spot junior Kim Coventry, the No. 53 player in the nation, defeated the Spiders? Pamela Duran 6-3, 6-2. Coventry also teamed with junior Lara Maurer for the first time this year and beat Beatrice Duran and Meghan Wolfgram 8-6.
Also teaming for the first time was junior Joelle Schwenk and freshman Carolina Escamilla. The duo won 8-4 over Richmond?s Robin Carter and Jessica Hubbard. Both Schwenk and Escamilla won their singles matches as well.
The match against Richmond was also the debut for freshman Jessica Giuggioli. Giuggioli took her first set against Xenia Schneider 6-2 before dropping the second set 4-6. Giuggioli won the match when she rebounded to win the third set 10-7.
Against Marshall the Cats lost the doubles point but rebounded two win five singles matches to give Kentucky the victory.
Senior Danielle Petrisko recorded her second singles and doubles victory in as many matches against the Herd. Petrisko playing in the No. 4 spot defeated Jeanne Schwartz 6-2, 6-3. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native also teamed with junior Caroline Winebrenner in the No. 3 spot to win the Cats lone doubles match 9-8 over Schwartz and Jessica Keener.
?We were really tough mentally today and projected a lot of confidence on the court, Coventry said. ?We look at these matches as good preparation for our upcoming schedule of games.?
The Wildcats will return to action on Monday in their first home match of the year at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center. UK will take to the courts against intrastate rival Louisville at 6 p.m.
?We?re really excited coming off these two victories and we look for to playing in front of our fans Monday against Louisville,? Drada said.
Kentucky def. Richmond 7-0
Doubles
1. Maurer/Coventry (UK) def. Grasu/Wolfgram (UR) -8-6
2. Schwenk/Escamilla (UK) def. Carter/Hubbard (UR) -8-4
3. Petrisko/Winebrenner (UK) def. Schneider/Vosters (UR) – 8-2
Singles
1. Kim Coventry (UK) def. Pamela Duran (UR) – 6-3, 6-2
2. Joelle Schwenk (UK) def. Beatrice Grasu (UR) – 6-1, 6-4
3. Lara Maurer (UK) def. Meghan Wolfgram (UR) – 7-5, 7-5
4. Danielle Petrisko (UK) def. Robin Carter (UR) – 6-1, 6-2
5. Carolina Escamilla (UK) def. Jessica Hubbard (UR) – 3-6, 7-6, 10-4
6. Jessica Giuggioli (UK) def. Xenia Schneider (UR) – 6-2, 4-6, 10-7
Kentucky def. Marshall 5-2
Doubles
1. Schmitt/Kever (Marsh) def. Coventry/Maurer (UK) – 8-5
2. Soor/Brown (Marsh) def. Schwenk/Escamilla (UK) – 8-4
3. Petrisko/Winebrenner (UK) def. Keener/Schwartz (Marsh)- 9-8
Singles
1. Coventry (UK) def. Lynzee Kever (Marsh) – 6-0, 6-4
2. Schwenk (UK) def. Kellie Schmitt Marsh) – 6-1, 6-2
3. Maurer (UK) def. Karolina Soor (Marsh) – 6-2, 6-1
4. Petrisko (UK) def. Jeanne Schwartz (Marsh) – 6-2, 6-3
5. Shannon Brown (Marsh) def. Escamilla (UK) – 6-3, 6-7, 10-7
6. Giuggioli (UK) def. Jessica Keener (Marsh) – 6-3, 6-2
