Feb. 24, 2003
The 25th-ranked University of Kentucky women’s tennis team extended its winning streak to six with a 4-3 defeat of No. 19 Notre Dame at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center on Monday, Feb. 24. The win improved UK’s record to 10-4.
The victory, UK’s third over a top-20 opponent, did not come easy, however. In doubles, seniors Sarah Witten and Amy Trefethen tightened their grip on UK’s top doubles spot with an 8-1 defeat of Katie Cuhna and Kristina Stastny. Since being paired together on Feb. 1, Witten and Trefethen are undefeated with a 6-0 record at the No. 1 doubles spot. On court three, senior Shannon Stafford and freshman partner Nathalie Roels dropped a hard-fought match to Notre Dame’s Caylan Leslie and Jen Smith, 8-5. Needing a win to secure the doubles point, the Kentucky senior duo of Jill Buckley and Leigh Bradwell played a tremendous match against Lauren Connelly and Alicia Salas. Both teams played hard as the match went back and forth with neither team giving way to the other. The “Luck of the Irish” would prevail, however as Buckley and Bradwell fell, 8-6, to give Notre Dame the 1-0 lead.
In singles, it seemed as if the Cats might once again be outdone. With Witten taking care of Salas on court one, 6-1, 6-2, and Buckley handling Cunha, 6-3, 6-4, on court three, UK took a 2-1 lead. On courts two and four though, Roels and Stafford did not fare as well. Leslie defeated Roels in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, and although Stafford put up a tough fight in the first set, Stastny was able to hold her off for the 6-4, 6-1 defeat. At the beginning of the five and six singles matches, it seemed Notre Dame might prevail as Trefethen (No. 5) and freshman Shannon Stough (No. 6) each fell behind in the first set, 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. The Cats decided they had seen enough. Trefethen would win the next six games to take the first set, 6-1. After taking a quick 4-1 lead in the second set Connelly fought back to tie it up at 4-4, but Trefethen held her off to win 6-4 and tie the match at 3-3. For Stough it was much of the same. She stormed back after dropping the first two games to Sarah Jane Connelly to win the first set 6-3 and dominated the second set 6-2, to clinch the victory for UK, its first against a ranked opponent after losing the doubles point. Trefethen is undefeated in her last seven matches and Stough won her sixth straight.
“This was one of the most exciting matches I’ve experienced,” Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “The effort this team is putting forth is phenomenal. I’m encouraged by the fact that the girls are enjoying this as opposed to feeling pressured to perform. I’m very happy for this team and am pleased with the way they have come together.”
This was Kentucky’s final match before beginning Southeastern Conference play against No. 11 Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 28, in Knoxville. The match is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET.
Agate:
Singles
1. #37 Sarah Witten (UK) def. #124 Alicia Salas (ND) 6-1; 6-2
2. Caylan Leslie (ND) def. #48 Nathalie Roels (UK) 6-3; 6-4
3. Jill Buckley (UK) def. Katie Cunha (ND) 6-3; 6-4
4. Kristina Stastny (ND) def. Shannon Stafford (UK) 6-4; 6-1
5. #89 Amy Trefethen (UK) def. Lauren Connelly (ND) 6-1; 6-4
6. Shannon Stough (UK) def. Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) 6-3; 6-2
Doubles
1. Witten/Trefethen (UK) def. Cunha/Stastny (ND) 8-1
2. L. Connelly/Salas (ND) def. Bradwell/Buckley (UK) 8-6
3. Leslie/Jen Smith (ND) def. Roels/Stafford (UK) 8-5
