Sept. 17, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team has three individuals and one doubles pair ranked in the ITA Division I pre-season fall poll, announced earlier this month.
Sophomore Megan Broderick received the highest ranking from the ITA at No. 55, scaling the charts 21 spots from her 2008 season position at No. 76. Broderick finished her rookie season playing at the No. 1 position in singles with an 18-6 record and was selected to Second Team All-SEC with an 8-5 conference record as well as being named to the Freshman All-SEC team.
Juniors Sarah Wöstmann and Christine Johnston were each ranked at No. 83 and No. 188, respectively. Wöstmann played the majority of her matches at the No. 1 singles position and was ranked the whole season, being ranked as high as No. 69. She started the season with a four-match win streak and went on to be undefeated at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions. Wöstmann finished 2008 with a 7-3 doubles record, 5-2 in the SEC, with partner Whitney Spencer and clinched the NCAA Tournament first round for UK against Bianca Jochimsen of Boise State 7-6(4), 6-4.
Johnston played primarily at the No. 4 singles position and led the team with a 20-4 record. She opened the season with eight consecutive wins, followed by another 10-match win streak. Johnston was selected to Second Team All-SEC with a 9-3 record and was named SEC Player of the Week in February. She was also one half of Kentucky’s predominant doubles tandem with senior Carolina Escamilla.
The duo of Escamilla and Johnston were also ranked in the ITA poll at No. 16, jumping 14 notches ahead of last year’s final ranking. The pair led UK’s doubles teams with an 8-7 record and ranked as high as No. 20 in 2008, playing primarily at the No. 1 position. Escamilla and Johnston defeated four higher ranked doubles teams, all in the top-50 during the year and were selected as the second alternate for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
Kentucky returns six of its seven players from last season while also adding a few fresh faces to their roster.
The Wildcats have set the team’s schedule for the 2008-09 seasons. Being a contender in the Southeastern Conference always makes for a tough year with four schools in the top-20 and eight of twelve institutions ranked in the top-30.
Kentucky begins the fall tournament schedule at the Gator Fall Classic in Gainesville, Fla., and ends in early November with the SEC Fall Coaches Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala. January kicks off the regular team season with an away match against Marshall in Huntington, W. Va. The Cats opened last year against the Herd in Lexington, Ky., with a 6-1 win. UK’s first home match will be a double-header featuring Eastern Kentucky and Winthrop on Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
Conference competition starts with two home matches at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center, first the Florida Gators on March 6, and then a visit from South Carolina on March 8. The Wildcats take a southward bound two-week road trip beginning in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 13 and then head to LSU on March 15. A break in conference play ensues with matches against Baylor and South Florida on March 18 and 21, respectively. Kentucky dips back into the SEC pool with the Auburn Tigers in Auburn, Ala., March 29.
Returning home in April for a Magnolia state-filled weekend, UK hosts Ole Miss on April 3 and Mississippi State April 5. The Cats last saw the Rebels at the SEC Championship first round, winning 4-0. Kentucky caps off the regular season with two road trips, traveling to Georgia on April 10 and Tennessee April 12, and a final home match against Vanderbilt April 18. The Commodores hosted the Blue and White during the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament and pulled out the second round win over the Cats in a 4-3 nail biter.
This year’s SEC Tournament will be held at Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., on April 23-25. NCAA action begins May 8-10 with the first and second rounds and the location to be announced. The 2009 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship will be at College Station, Texas, May 15-25.
Kentucky begins the fall tournament season at the Gator Fall Classic hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., Sept. 19-21.
Athletes from the Gators, UCF, Notre Dame and South Florida join the Wildcats in competition during the three-day tournament. All players are guaranteed to play at least three singles matches with a main draw, a consolation draw and a back-draw.
Seven of the eight members of Kentucky’s team are set to participate in the Gator Classic. Play is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET each day.
For complete coverage of Kentucky women’s tennis, please visit www.ukathletics.com.
