OXFORD, Miss. ? The Kentucky women?s tennis headed to Oxford, Miss. Sunday March 30 to face SEC opponent, Ole Miss. The No. 23 Wildcats (13-6 overall, 4-4 SEC) were defeated by the Rebels (5-12, 1-6), 5-2.
UK started the day down 1-0 after a loss of the doubles point. Kentucky?s pair of sophomores Sarah Woestmann and Whitney Spencer provided the only Wildcat win. The duo played on court three against Preethi Subramanian and Soledad Podlipnik. Despite their winning efforts, Woestmann and Spencer?s defeat of the Rebels, 8-5, came too late as the court finished third. The first court was taken by the Rebels in an 8-5 decision with Nika Koukhartchouk and Karen Nijssen on the Ole Miss side, and SEC Freshman of the Week Megan Broderick and junior Carolina Escamilla for UK. The Cats almost made the comeback in an extended match on court two with sophomore Christine Johnston and freshman Alaina Trgovich, however, Mimi Renaudin and Laura van de Stroet of the Rebels gained the point with a 9-7 conclusion.
Singles play seemed to have a slow start for Kentucky as well. Courts one and two, with UK?s Broderick and Woestmann respectively, started their matches down, 3-1, against Ole Miss? Koukhartchouk and Nijssen each taking the first set on their respective courts. Woestmann was unable to fight back from the deficit, falling to Nijssen, 6-2, 6-1. Broderick made a valiant rally in the second set, winning 6-4, but Koukhartchouk still had more power left in her hit and finished the match with a 6-3 Rebel victory.
Kentucky?s Escamilla also played a three set match on court three. The junior battled van de Stroet, trading the upper hand each set. Escamilla fell in the first set, 6-2, but then came back with her won 6-2 win. The third set was again lost to Ole Miss with another 6-2 tally. The Rebel win marked the fourth point of the match a cemented an Ole Miss victory over Kentucky.
Wildcat Johnston put Kentucky on the board with a quick 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Submaranian. The UK sophomore continues to dominate the courts and pushes her singles record to an impressive 18-1. Kentucky freshman Trgovich gained the second point for the Wildcats against Renaudin on court five, 6-4, 6-2.
The last point and match of the day went to Ole Miss to cap off the team?s five-point victory. Podlipnik of the Rebels took the final win against Spencer in a three-set, tie break decision. Despite Spencer losing the first set 6-1, she didn?t back down and pulled out her own 6-1 win in the second set. The third set finished at a 10-8 tie break in favor of the Rebels.
Kentucky returns home for a two-match home stand against SEC rivals, No. 9 Georgia on Friday April 4 and No. 20 Tennessee on Sunday April 6. The contest against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and Sunday?s match with the Volunteers is slated at noon ET. For complete coverage of the Kentucky women?s tennis team, please visit www.ukathletics.com.
Ole Miss 5, #23 Kentucky 2
Singles
S1: Nika Koukhartchouk (OLE MISS) def. Megan Broderick (UK)), 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
S2: Karen Nijssen (OLE MISS) def. #83 Sarah Woestmann (UK), 6-2, 6-1
S3: Laura van de Stroet (OLE MISS) def. Carolina Escamilla (UK), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
S4: Christine Johnston (UK) def. Preethi Subramanian (OLE MISS), 6-1, 6-1
S5: Alaina Trgovich (UK) def. Mimi Renaudin (OLE MISS), 6-4, 6-2
S6: Soledad Podlipnik (OLE MISS) def. Whitney Spencer (UK), 6-1, 1-6, 10-8
Doubles
1: Koukhartchouk/Nijssen (Ole Miss) def. Escamilla/Broderick (UK), 8-5
2: Renaudin/van de Stroet (Ole Miss) def. Johnston/Trgovich (UK), 9-7
3: Spencer/Woestmann (UK) def. Subramanian/Podlipnik (Ole Miss), 8-5
