NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? In the last match of the regular season, the No. 23 Wildcats (14-8 overall, 5-6 SEC) visited No. 12 Vanderbilt (17-4, 7-4) in Nashville. Kentucky fell to the top ranked team 5-2 in an adrenaline pumping match Saturday afternoon.

The Cats began the afternoon by a sweep of doubles. Kentucky duo, Carolina Escamilla and Christine Johnston took court one with an 8-5 decision against No. 54 pair, Amanda Taylor and Courtney Ulery. Following UK?s success was court two with a 9-7 decision over the ?Dores. SEC Freshman of the Week Megan Broderick and partner Alaina Trgovich came out on top, rallying over Caroline Ferrell and Catherine Newman. Wrapping up the Kentucky sweep was Whitney Spencer and Lauren Meier on court three. The Wildcat tandem defeated Taka Bertrand and Keilly Ulery, 8-6.

Kentucky opened singles by taking a second point. Meier on court six had a solid win against Ferrell, 6-3, 6-1, extending the Cats? lead. Vanderbilt posted the team?s first point of the day with a victory on court four. The Commodores No. 61 C. Ulery took a 6-4, 6-4, decision against Trgovich. Vandy then tied the match at 2-2 with a court three win. No. 64 Bertrand of Vanderbilt outscored UK?s Johnston in the first set 6-4. Johnston had a strong second set rally but was unable to top Bertrand resulting in a 7-6 Commodore point.

Vandy took the lead for the first time at 3-2 after a three-set court two win. Wildcat Escamilla took the first set with a 6-2 decision but fell behind No. 47 Bertrand in the next two rounds, 6-1, 6-2. The Commodores secured the match with a win on court one. The first two sets were split with Kentucky?s Broderick taking the first 6-4 and No. 23 Taylor winning the second 6-4. Court one came down to a nail biting 6-5 tally in the third set in the Commodores favor. A Kentucky win would tie the score and a Vandy win would secure the match. Taylor came out on top with a 7-5 victory, earning the fourth and final point for the ?Dores.

Concluding the day was UK?s Spencer on court five. Spencer defeated K. Ulery in the first set 7-5 but lost the second set in a 6-1 contest. The Commodore finished out the third round 7-5, taking Vandy?s final score to a 5-2 victory.

Kentucky will next see action at the SEC Tournament hosted in Auburn, Ala. on April 17-20. For complete coverage of Kentucky women?s tennis, please visit www.ukathletics.com.

#12 Vanderbilt 5, #23 Kentucky 2

Singles
1: #23 Amanda Taylor (VU) def. Megan Broderick (UK), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
2: #47 Catherine Newman (VU) def. Carolina Escamilla (UK), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
3: #96 Taka Bertrand (VU) def. Christine Johnston (UK), 6-4, 7-5
4: #61 Courtney Ulery (VU) def. Alaina Trgovich (UK), 6-4, 6-4
5: Keilly Ulery (VU) def. Whitney Spencer (UK), 5-7, 6-1, 7-5,
6: Lauren Meier (UK) def. Caroline Ferrell (VU), 6-3, 6-1

Doubles
1: Escamilla/Johnston (UK) def. #54 Taylor/C. Ulery (VU), 8-5
2: Broderick/Trgovich (UK) def. Ferrell/Newman (VU), 9-7
3: Spencer/Meier (UK) def. Bertrand/K. Ulery (VU), 8-6