Feb. 18, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a grueling road trip to open its season, the Kentucky women’s tennis team will host Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Kentucky on Saturday at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex in a doubleheader at noon and 6 p.m. ET, respectively.
The Cats (0-6) will be looking for their first win Saturday when they go up against the RedHawks and Colonels. Kentucky opened its season with five of its first six matches on the road and all six matches against opponents ranked inside the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s top 75. UK head coach Carlos Drada said the tough schedule will prepare the team for the always tough Southeastern Conference schedule.
“You have to play the best in order to get better,” Drada said.
Miami enters Saturday’s match with a 5-3 record. The RedHawks won each of their first four matches against Xavier, Dayton, Cincinnati and Butler. Miami’s wins over Cincinnati and Butler came on the road. The RedHawks then went on a three-game skid with road losses to Iowa, Kansas State and Michigan State before topping Detroit. Kentucky is Miami’s seventh road match in a current nine-match road trip.
Eastern Kentucky will come to Lexington with a 6-2 record and six-game winning streak. Saturday evening’s match against the Wildcats will be Eastern Kentucky’s first road match of the young season.
Senior Megan Broderick and sophomore Jessica Stiles have led the Cats this spring in singles play with three wins apiece at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. The two also lead Kentucky in doubles play, sporting a 2-3 record at the No. 1 position. Kentucky found success in its last match against Purdue, when Broderick teamed up with freshman Khristina Blajkevitch at No. 1 doubles and defeated the No. 13 doubles tandem in the country.
Kentucky holds a 16-2 record all-time against Miami and is 13-0 against Eastern Kentucky, including a 5-2 win over the Colonels last season. Kentucky and Miami last met in 2009, a 5-2 victory for the Wildcats.
Live results from Saturday’s doubleheader can be seen at UKathletics.com.
Free UK women’s tennis posters and schedule cards will be available to fans, and parking garage No. 7 will be open and free for use.
Check UKathletics.com for results from Saturday’s doubleheader and all Kentucky women’s tennis news.
