Mikulskyte Named SEC Player of the Week, Sets Program Record
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second time this season, senior Justina Mikulskyte was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Wednesday. In the process, the Lithuania native set the program record for most SEC Player of the Week honors received in a career at three honors.
Last weekend, Mikulskyte largely contributed to UK’s winning weekend in its last regular-season home stretch of the year. On Senior Day, UK’s lone senior defeated ranked opponents in singles and in doubles, potentially her final performance at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center.
Mikulskyte and her season-long partner Akvile Paražinskaite defeated the No. 57-ranked doubles team in the nation in Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine of Mississippi State. Giving up only one game to the Bulldog pair, Mikulskyte and Paražinskaite advanced their unbeaten mark against nationally-ranked opponents to 7-0. In the process, the UK pair helped the program to the doubles point. Together, Mikulskyte and Paražinskaite improved to 12-4 overall and 7-2 in the conference.
The Lithuania native followed it up by finishing first in singles to Mississippi State, defeating No. 67 Emma Antonaki on a 6-3, 6-2 decision. It improved Mikulskyte’s overall mark on the No. 1 court to 13-4, boasting a 7-3 mark in conference play. She excels under the pressure of ranked opponents in singles too, carding a 7-2 mark against foes in the national polls.
On Friday, Mikulskyte was the deciding factor in the team’s win over No. 46 Ole Miss. The dual match was tied at 3-3, and Mikulskyte came from behind to card a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3 finish over Sabine Machalova to help Kentucky claim the win. The team concluded its season with a 12-2 mark at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center, the best winning percentage (.857) at home in over a decade.
In the newest ITA/Oracle National Rankings released on Tuesday, Mikulskyte tabbed the 15th spot in singles, her best singles ranking this season, and with Paražinskaite the UK pair makeup the 17th-best team in the nation.
The UK women’s tennis team will wrap up its regular season on the road this weekend, meeting No. 2 Georgia on Friday, followed by No. 18 Tennessee on Sunday.
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