Feb. 15, 2003
The 30th-ranked University of Kentucky women’s tennis team picked up the biggest win of its young season on Saturday, Feb. 15 defeating No. 11 Northwestern at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center.
The Cats (6-4) roared to a 1-0 lead after they dominated all three of the doubles matches. Sarah Witten and Amy Trefethen handled NU’s Cristelle Grier and Jessica Rush, 8-2. In the other two doubles matches, each decided by an 8-1 score, UK’s Leigh Bradwell and Jill Buckley made quick work of Ruth Barnes and Andrea Yung, while Shannon Stafford and Nathalie Roels defeated Jamie Peisel and Kristi Roemer.
In singles, 48th-ranked Roels needed three sets to defeat Jessica Rush, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Her victory gave UK a 2-0 advantage. Northwestern , however, would storm back. After dropping the first set to 37th-ranked Witten, No. 16 Grier captured the second set 6-3. In the third both women held serve to force a tie break. Grier proved to be too much for Witten and took the tie break 7-4 and the set 7-6, pulling NU (6-5) even with Kentucky, 2-2. On court three, Buckley and Yung also played a three-set match with NU prevailing, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. On court four, No. 76 Peisel handed Stafford a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 defeat to put NU up 3-2.
With the Cats needing to capture the final two points to win the match, Trefethen and Shannon Stough went to work. Stough made quick work of NU’s Stacy Kokx, 6-2, 6-2, to pull UK even at 3-3. No. 89 Trefethen went down 2-0 in the first set and decided she had seen enough. She fought back to a 2-2 tie before NU’s Barnes took a 3-2 lead. Barnes would win one more game, but Trefethen would go on to take the first set 6-4. To start the second set, the two women played a 15-minute first game. Trefethen fought off five deuce points before she would take the 1-0 lead. From then on she never looked back and took the second set, 6-1, to capture the match and give UK the 4-3 victory.
“This is probably the second biggest win in our history,” Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “I am so proud and happy of the way our girls played today. We are starting to get this team rolling. We didn’t get it going early, but we are definitely back on the right track.”
Agate:
Singles
1.#16 Cristelle Grier (NU) def. #37 Sarah Witten (UK) 3-6; 6-3; 7-6(4)
2.#48 Nathalie Roels (UK) def. Jessica Rush (NU) 6-3; 4-6; 6-1
3.Andrea Yung (NU) def. Jill Buckley (UK) 4-6; 6-3; 6-0
4.#76 Jamie Peisel (NU) def. Shannon Stafford (UK) 4-6; 6-2; 6-4
5.#89 Amy Trefethen (UK) def. Ruth Barnes (NU) 6-4; 6-1*
6.Shannon Stough (UK) def. Stacy Kokx (NU) 6-2; 6-2
*Clinched Match
Doubles
1.Sarah Witten/Amy Trefethen (UK) def. Cristelle Grier/Jessica Rush (NU) 8-2
2.Leigh Bradwell/Jill Buckley (UK) def. Ruth Barnes/Andrea Yung (NU) 8-1
3.Shannon Stafford/Nathalie Roels (UK) def. Jamie Peisel/Kristi Roemer (NU) 8-1
