March 16, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – The 13th-ranked Kentucky women’s tennis team escaped Columbia, S.C., on Sunday, March 16 with a narrow 4-3 victory over the 24th-ranked Gamecocks at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center. With the victory UK improves to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference, while South Carolina falls to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

Kentucky won two of three doubles matches to take an early 1-0 lead. The Cats’ 18th-ranked tandem of Sarah Witten and Amy Trefethen continued their tremendous play defeating USC’s 30th-ranked Kathy Boyanovich and Magda Wojdylo, 8-4, at number-one doubles. Witten and Trefethen improved their record to 10-2. Nathalie Roels and Shannon Stafford got an 8-1 defeat over the Gamecocks’ Catherine Brown and Audrey George to secure the doubles point.

In singles, the Cats were given a little bit of a scare as three of the six matches were three-set thrillers. The Gamecocks were able to pull even at 1-1 when, at the number-three spot, Stafford was forced to retire due to injury trailing 3-2 in the first set. Trefethen put the Cats back up 2-1 after downing Brown in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. At the top spot, 73rd-ranked Witten was able to knock off Kathy Boynaovich, 7-6, 6-2, to give Kentucky a 3-1 cushion. The clinching match came at No. 2 singles. Roels took the opening set,6-4, over Jodi Kenoyer who then promptly stormed back and took the second, 6-1. Roels then went down 4-3 in the final set, but was able to dig down and grind out a 6-4 third-set victory to take the number-two match and clinch Kentucky’s team victory. Shannon Stough lost, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, at No. 6 singles and Buckley fell in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, at the number-three spot.

The Cats have 12 days off before their next match on Friday, March 28 when they host the Arkansas Lady Backs at UK’s Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center. The match is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.

Agate:

No. 13 Kentucky 4, No. 24 South Carolina 3

Singles
1. #73 Sarah Witten (UK) d. Kathy Boyanovich (SC) 7-6, 6-2
2. Nathalie Roels (UK) d. Jodi Kenoyer (SC) 6-4,1-6, 6-4
3. Danielle Wiggins (SC) d. Jill Buckley (UK) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Magda Wojdylo (SC) d. Shannon Stafford (UK) 3-2, ret.
5. Amy Trefethen (UK) d. Catherine Brown (SC) 6-2, 6-2
6. Justine Walsh (SC) d. Shannon Staugh (UK) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

Doubles
1. #18 Witten/Trefethen (UK) d. #30 Boyanovich/Wojdylo (SC) 8-4
2. Kenoyer/Wiggins (SC) d. Bradwell/Buckley (UK) 8-6
3. Roels/Stafford (UK) d. Brown/George (SC) 8-1