The 25th-ranked University of Kentucky womens tennis team notched a big4-3 win over 27th-ranked Ohio State on Wednesday, April 11. The win liftsthe Cats to a 12-8 record going into their regular season finale on Sunday.The Buckeyes (15-6) currently sit atop the Big Ten with a record of 6-0.
The Wildcats took the opening point of the match by sweeping all threedoubles courts. Senior Brooke Skeen and junior Lauren Rookledge, thenations 19th-ranked team, continued their stellar play by defeating45th-ranked Monica Rincon and Kristy Dascoli, 8-6.In singles action, the match heated up with Ohio State taking three of thefirst five matches to knot the score at three. UK got wins from Rookledgeand sophomore Sarah Witten. Wittens win over 99th-ranked Rinconextended her winning streak to five, with three of those wins coming overnationally ranked opponents.
Junior Carolina Mayorga clinched the match for the Cats with her three-setvictory over Dascoli, the nations 30th-ranked player. Dascoli, a three-timeAll American, is the fourth highly ranked opponent that Mayorga hasknocked off in dual match play this season.
I am really impressed with the consistency of Lauren and Sarah, theyalways show up in big matches. Coach Mark Guilbeau said. I also cannotsay enough about Carolina. She came through both mentally and physicallyto win this match for us, and the fact that she did it against such a greatplayer makes it that much better.
I hope that this team now realizes that when we really concentratethroughout the entire match and want it badly, we can take it. I feel like wecan really learn a lot from this win.The Cats will be back in action on Senior Day, Sunday, April 15, when theyclose out their season against the 5th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Thematch is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the Hilary J. Boone TennisComplex on the UK campus and marks the final home match for the Catslone senior Brooke Skeen.
AGATE:
UK 4, OSU 3
Singles
1. #52 Carolina Mayorga, UK def. #30 Kristy Dascoli, OSU 3-6,7-5, 7-5
2. Sarah Witten, UK def. #99 Monica Rincon, OSU 6-3,6-3
3. Sadhaf Pervez, OSU def. #91 Brooke Skeen, UK 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
4. Erica Fisk, OSU def. Leigh Bradwell, UK 6-4,6-4
5. Lauren Rookledge, UK def. Laura Maloney, OSU 6-4, 6-2
6. Lindsey Williams, OSU def. Jill Buckley, UK 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
1. #19 Skeen/Rookledge, UK def. #45 Dascoli/Rincon, OSU 8-6
2. #23 Witten/Mayorga, UK def. Pervez/Maloney, OSU 8-4
3. Buckley/Trefethen, UK def. Fisk/Castro, OSU 8-1
