Stevens Leads Kentucky With Four Wins at Bulldog Invitational
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team wrapped up its second fall tournament of the season on Sunday afternoon, competing at the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Georgia, Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25. The Wildcats recorded 10 wins throughout the weekend, claiming six singles wins of 18 possible and four doubles wins of eight possible.
Of the seven Kentucky players to make the trip to the Bulldog Invitational, a pair of underclassmen in Maialen Morante and Elizabeth Stevens were the only two to win at least two singles matches.
Morante defeated two South Carolina opponents on the singles courts, beating Kendall Couch in a 6-2, 6-1 decision and Lindsay Tulenko in a 6-2, 6-4 decision. The sophomore, who played a limited amount of matches last season because of an injury, also collected a hard-fought doubles win paired with Carla Girbau, defeating the Gamecocks’ Couch and Corina Spasojevic in a 7-6 (7-5) decision.
In just the second performance of her collegiate career, freshman Stevens competed in six matches over the weekend, meanwhile recording the most wins of anyone on the team throughout the tournament – two singles matches, two doubles matches. The rookie from Oregon also managed to deliver a win over an opponent from all three teams competing at the tournament – Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Stevens and Fiona Arrese were the only two freshmen to make the trip this weekend, each competing in a team-high six matches.
In its next stop of the fall schedule, The Kentucky women’s tennis team will compete at the June Stewart Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, October 30 through November 1 to conclude a unique fall season.
This weekend’s results are as follows:
Friday, October 23
Doubles
Elizabeth Stevens/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. Ariana Arseneault/Ania Hertel (UGA) 7-6 (7-5)
Elena Christofi/Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Lesedi Jacobs/Fiona Arrese (UK) 7-6 (7-4)
Meg Kowalski/Alee Clayton (UGA) def. Carla Girbau/Maialen Morante (UK) 6-2
Singles
Meg Kowalski (UGA) def. Carla Girbau (UK) 6-1, 6-2
Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) 6-3, 6-7(2-7), 6-3
Ania Hertel (UGA) def. Carlota Molina (UK) 6-2, 6-3
Ariana Arseneault (UGA) def. Elizabeth Stevens (UK) 6-0, 7-6 (7-3)
Elena Christofi (UGA) def. Fiona Arrese (UK) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Alee Clayton (UGA) def. Maialen Morante (UK) 6-3, 6-2
Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Mills (USC) 6-0, 7-6(7)
Saturday, October 24
Doubles
Horvit/Davies (USC) def. Paražinskaite/Jacobs (UK) 6-2
Stevens/Arrese (UK) def. Tulenko/Mills (USC) 6-4
Girbau/Morante (UK) def. Couch/Spasojevic (USC) 7-6 (7-5)
Kessler/Dahlstrom (UF) def. Jacobs/Stevens (UK) 6-4
Paražinskaite/Arrese (UK) def. Zein/Berlin (UF) 7-5
Singles
Emma Shelton (USC) def. Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) 6-2, 6-0
Silivia Chinellato (USC) def. Carlota Molina (UK) 6-3, 6-3
Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Gabriela Martinez (USC) 6-2, 6-2
Carla Girbau (UK) def. Lindsay Tulenko (USC) 6-1, 6-2
Maialen Morante (UK) def. Kendall Couch (USC) 6-2, 6-1
Meg Kowalski (UGA) def. Lesedi Jacobs (UK) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Ariana Arseneault (UGA) def. Fiona Arrese (UK) 7-5, 6-2
Sunday, October 25
Singles
McCartney Kessler (UF) def. Carla Girbau (UK) 6-1, 7-5
Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Sara Dahlstrom (UF) 7-6(4), 7-5
Sydney Berlin (UF) def. Fiona Arrese (UK) 6-3, 6-2
Maialen Morante (UK) vs. Lindsay Tulenko (SC) 6-2, 6-4
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
