Nov. 15, 2001
As the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team sat in a classroom on campus watching the NCAA Tennis Championship Selection Show last May, there was little uncertainty that it would garner a spot in the tournament. The Wildcats knew with their Top 25 ranking and demanding schedule that they would be among the nation’s 64 elite teams to get an invitation to Stone Mountain, Ga. There was, however, some anxiety in the room.
Junior Carolina Mayorga and sophomore Sarah Witten comprised the nation’s 29th-ranked doubles pair. The tandem sat anxiously in the room hoping to be among the 32 pairs called to take part in the NCAA Doubles Championship. The duo had battled adversity, hard-fought losses and injuries throughout the season and was hoping to get a fresh start in the prestigious and highly-competitive tournament.
When the committee had finished announcing the doubles teams that would be invited to the championship, the duo of Mayorga and Witten was not on the list. Shortly after the naming of the 32-team field, the committee released the list of alternate pairs to replace any team that suffered an injury. Mayorga and Witten topped this list. They realized that they would have to pack their bags, head to Stone Mountain and wait to see if they would get their shot at the championship.
On the opening day of the NCAA Doubles Championship, Mayorga and Witten were informed that third-seeded Paola Palncia and Ipek Senoglu of Pepperdine were forced to withdraw. With little notice, the Wildcats were able to step into the tournament and make the most of the opportunity given to them. In the opening round, Mayorga and Witten defeated the nation’s 10th-ranked team in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3 to advance.
“We knew that there was a good chance that we would get into the tournament,” Mayorga said. “We practiced like we already had a spot and stayed focus. We were definitely ready when our opportunity came.”
In the championship’s second round, Mayorga and Witten faced sixth-ranked Simone Jardim and Kim Niggemeyer of Fresno State. The Wildcat tandem battled back from a first-set loss to take the three-set battle and tally its second upset win by a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The win not only catapulted the pair into the quarterfinals, but also earned the duo All-America honors, making them the first Wildcats to gain All-America status since 1988.
In the quarterfinals, the duo’s improbable run came to an end when Baylor’s Katja Kovac and Jahnavi Parakh scored a 7-5, 6-4 victory over the Wildcats.
“The experience that Carolina and Sarah were able to take away from that tournament has done a lot for them,” Head Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “It really served as a reminder to them that they have the potential to accomplish a lot.”
Mayorga, now a senior, and Witten, a junior, have returned for their final year as UK’s top doubles team. Along with winning the title at the University of Tennessee Fall Tournament, UK’s first competition of the season, the pair has earned a preseason ranking of No. 10 and was invited to participate in the All-American Championship in Los Angeles, Calif. After making the most of their chances last spring, both now realize their potential and hope to continue to capitalize on opportunities in the 2001-02 season.
