Cats get it done, move on to SEC semifinals
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A lineup of six true freshmen and one NAIA transfer managed to complete an improbable feat Friday afternoon, as No. 21 Kentucky eliminated No. 4 Georgia from the SEC Women?s Tennis Tournament at Vanderbilt?s Brownlee O. Currey Tennis Center. The sixth-seeded Cats eliminated the third-seeded Dogs by a 4-1 count for UK Coach Mark Guilbeau?s first victory over Georgia, with whom he served as an assistant coach for five seasons before coming to Kentucky.
The first win in doubles competition went to Georgia when the Dogs? Natalie Frazier and Douglas Wink scored an 8-2 victory at the No. 2 slot against Kentucky?s Christine Simpson and Caroline Winebrenner. UK?s Kim Coventry and Lara Maurer commenced the Wildcat comeback at No. 2 against Georgia?s Jitka Schonfeldova and Evgenia Subbotina. After trailing by a 2-1 count, the Kentucky freshman pair took the next five games for a 6-2 lead. UGA only managed to cut the deficit to 6-3 before Coventry and Maurer claimed the final two games for an 8-3 win.
The No. 1 slot featured two of the SEC?s top doubles tandems in Georgia?s Agata Cioroch and Shadisha Robinson and Kentucky?s Sarah Foster and Aibika Kalsarieva. The Bulldog pair jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead before Foster and Kalsarieva reeled off wins in the next six games for a 6-3 lead. Georgia struck back as quickly as the Cats had captured the lead, breaking back for a 7-6 lead. Cioroch?s aggressive serve was not enough to bury Kentucky, as Foster and Kalsarieva broke even at seven. The Cats took the next game and rejected three Georgia game points in the final game served by Georgia?s Robinson to clinch the doubles point by a 9-7 margin.
Georgia tied the tally at one when the Dogs? Alexandra Smith scored a 6-2, 6-1 win over UK?s Christine Simpson. The No. 1 singles slot featured Georgia?s sixth-ranked Cioroch and Kentucky?s 19th-ranked Kalsarieva. The Kentucky junior transfer from the NAIA?s Lewis & Clark State seized control early and never let up. Kalsarieva claimed the first set by a 6-3 count and won the first four games in the second set on her way to a 6-1 victory, giving the Cats a lead they never relinquished.
?As with so many of our matches and our season in general, this all starts with what Aibika brings to the court and our team,” UK Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “She plays at the highest level and holds herself accountable to miss fewer balls and win more matches than even a program with very high standards, such as ours, could ask for.?
UK?s Maurer put her challenging conference season behind her in her match at No. 4 against UGA?s 79th-ranked Frazier. Maurer trailed 2-0 before taking six of the final eight games to claim the first set. Down 2-1 in the second set, Maurer responded by winning the next five games to give Kentucky a 3-1 lead.
?There is no substitute for talent, but clearly, Lara Maurer deserves tremendous credit and would tell you that a great part of this victory comes from her work off the court,” Guilbeau said. “She has been communicating and listening at a level that will allow her talent to come through in this fashion quite often.?
The No. 2 singles match featured two of the conference?s top freshmen. Kentucky?s Foster defeated Georgia?s Robinson in straight sets for the lone Kentucky point on Apr. 2 in Lexington. Robinson turned the tables in the first set with a 6-3 win. Foster countered in the second with a 6-3 win of her own, setting the stage for a memorable final set.
Foster broke Robinson?s serve in the set?s fifth game for a 3-2 lead. Robinson broke Foster?s serve to tie the set, before Foster broke back to re-gain the lead. Finally, with Foster leading 5-4, Robinson sent a return behind the service line, giving Foster her ninth-consecutive victory and Kentucky another victory over a top-five opponent.
?It?s hard to explain the level of development and belief within herself that Sarah Foster possesses,” Guilbeau said. “She has come from a level of junior tennis that would be fair to say was a little bit off of the level of a Shadisha Robinson. To have to validate her SEC Freshman of the Year selection, and to have all of those things built into this match, and for her to get it done in singles and doubles is truly incredible.?
At No. 3 singles, UK?s Joelle Schwenk, who was suffering from a stomach virus, fought back from a first-set loss to win the second set by a 6-3 count. The freshman from Coconut Creek, Fla., held a 3-1 lead in the final set before play was suspended following Foster?s clincher at the No. 2 spot.
?Joelle brought a lot to this match, even though she was sick during doubles play and did not play. When she came out and said that she would get it done in singles, it gave our entire team a tremendous boost. The fact that it was genuine speaks so highly to her character and toughness.”
UK?s Coventry fought back with a vengeance after dropping the first nine games at No. 5 singles. The Australian took the second set in a tiebreaker and was serving at double match point in the final set before play was suspended.
?Again, it takes everyone contributing no matter the deficit or obstacles they face. For Kim to return from 6-0, 3-0 down and not only win the second set, but get to 5-4 serving at 40-15 and have double match point is a great sign for her and our team. She has progressed today and throughout a quick spring season to the point where she would win a match like this. I am very proud of her unwillingness to give in.?
?You can just see this type of achievement and see it in the eyes of the kids. You can see it when you?re talking to them and when you?re discussing strategies and matchups and everything that makes the game happen. You can see it in their eyes that they can do it. Without that, young or old, it doesn?t matter, because nothing like this would happen. It?s a special moment for a small group, but it?s bigger than that. It feels like every kid that has ever played at Kentucky over the past eight years is here right now. Without what they have helped build, this wouldn?t be possible. I?m so proud of this group, but I think more important than anything now is that they are completely determined and hungry to win another match or two here.?
?Every player in our program had a role today. I think we learned that that?s what it takes. Every player at some point must do something that contributes to a victory and everyone did. This is the greatest moment that we?ve had at UK, but clearly this team is ready for more.”
Georgia defeated Kentucky by a 6-1 count two weeks ago in Lexington, and the Dogs defeated a senior-laden Kentucky team in the 2003 regular season, SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. On Friday, UK?s six true freshmen and one junior playing her first year of NCAA tennis defeated Georgia?s two seniors, one junior, two sophomores and two true freshmen.
The SEC’s youngest team meets No. 3 Vanderbilt Saturday at 2 p.m. CDT. Live scoring will be available at vucommodores.com.
No. 21 Kentucky 4, No. 4 Georgia 1
Doubles 1. No. 13 Foster/Kalsarieva (UK) def. No. 6 Cioroch/Robinson (UGA) ? 9-7 2. Coventry/Maurer (UK) def. No. 47 Schonfeldova/Subbotina (UGA) ? 8-3 3. Frazier/Wink (UGA) def. Simpson/Winebrenner (UK) ? 8-2
Singles 1. No. 19 Aibika Kalsarieva (UK) def. No. 6 Agata Cioroch (UGA) ? 6-3, 6-1 2. No. 64 Sarah Foster (UK) def. No. 23 Shadisha Robinson (UGA) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 3. Joelle Schwenk (UK) vs. No. 67 Evgenia Subbotina (UGA) ? 5-7, 6-3, 3-1, susp. 4. Lara Maurer (UK) def. No. 79 Natalie Frazier (UGA) ? 6-4, 6-2 5. Kim Coventry (UK) vs. Douglas Wink (UGA) ? 0-6, 7-6, 5-4, susp. 6. Alexandra Smith (UGA) def. Christine Simpson (UK) ? 6-2, 6-1
