Feb. 28, 1998

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After battling back from a 3-1 deficit, the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team fell to fifth-ranked Georgia 5-4 on Saturday. The Wildcats (4-3, 0-3 SEC), facing their third top-10 opponent of the season, rallied to tie the match at 4-4 after winning three singles matches and the No. 3 doubles match. But Georgia’s No. 2 doubles team of Aarthi Venkatesan and Jane Reid defeated UK’s Kathy Herring and Caroline Kirk, 8-4, to earn the victory.

UK’s Christy Sigurski defeated Christa Grey at No. 4 singles, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4. Kirk, playing at No. 5, overcame UGA’s Lauren Rose 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, and Brooke Skeen won at No. 6 for the Wildcats, beating Reid 6-3, 6-4. UK’s doubles team of Sigurski and Skeen won at No. 3 doubles, 8-6, over Grey and Zoe Mellis.

“I don’t think it was a fluke that it was 5-4,” UK coach Mark Guilbeau said. “We were really well-prepared, and we felt like we could win the match. The most pleasing thing was that they came out 100 percent and ready to win.”

Georgia (6-1, 1-0 SEC) came into the match with two nationally ranked singles players in No. 2 Marissa Catlin and No. 23 Vanessa Castellano, who also team up to form the nation’s fourth-ranked doubles team. Catlin defeated Kelly Brown 7-5, 6-3, at No. 1 singles, and No. 2 Castellano outlasted Kathy Herring 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. Castellano and Catlin dominated the UK team of Brown and Emami, 8-2.

Guilbeau assisted the Bulldogs for five seasons before coming to Kentucky, and UK assistant Michelle Anderson was an All-American at Georgia before graduating in 1997.

“I told our players that even though we were close to them, it’s just like any other match,” Guilbeau said.

AGATESingles:Marissa Catlin (UGA) def. Kelly Brown (UK)         7-5, 6-3 Vanessa Castellano (UGA) def. Kathy Herring (UK)   6-4, 4-6, 6-0 Aarthi Venkatesan (UGA) def. Massoumeh Emami (UK)  6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Christy Sigurski (UK) def. Christa Grey (UGA)      3-6, 6-0, 6-4 Caroline Kirk (UK) def. Lauren Rose (UGA)          6-2, 4-6, 7-5 Brooke Skeen (UK) def. Jane Reid (UGA)             6-3, 6-4 Doubles:Catlin/Castellano (UGA) def. Brown/Emami (UK)      8-2 Venkatesan/Reid (UGA) def. Herring/Kirk (UK)       8-4 Sigurski/Skeen (UK) def. Grey/Zoe Mellis (UGA)     8-6