Oct. 28, 2001

The University of Kentucky women’s tennis doubles team of Carolina Mayorga and Sarah Witten advanced to the doubles final of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championship on Sunday, Oct. 28, by defeating 37th-ranked Julie Deroo and Kelly McCain of Duke. Witten also advanced to the semifinals of singles competition with her win over 29th-ranked Julie Rontondi of North Carolina.

The team of Mayorga and Witten, the tournament’s second seed, were able to bounce the Duke tandem from the competition with their 8-4 win. The duo will now face the nation’s No. 2 doubles team, Bea Bielik and Janet Bergman of Wake Forest, on Monday, Oct. 29. The winner of the showdown will move on to compete in the ITA National Indoor Championships in Dallas, Texas. This marks the fourth time in five years that a UK doubles team has competed in the final match for a regional title.

Witten will also be competing in singles action on Monday. Her win over Rotondi placed her in the semifinals against 16th-ranked Alison Ojeda of Tennessee. Unlike doubles, both parties competing in the final match will earn a spot in the National Indoor Championships. Witten’s accomplishment marks the fourth time in six years that a Wildcats has played in the semifinals of the region.

“I can’t say enough about the way this team has played this weekend,” Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “I am proud of the performance by Sarah and Carolina, but I am also proud of the players who didn’t make it this far. From top to bottom, the whole team played well and picked up some great victories. I think this has been a great indication of how well this team is capable of playing.”

Action at the ITA Regional Championships will continue on Monday. The doubles final will begin at 9 a.m. with the singles semifinals to follow.