Wildcats Record 12 Singles, Doubles Wins in Fall Opener
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team concluded its first fall tournament of the season on Sunday afternoon, after brushing off the dust at the Southeastern Conference Challenge in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 11.
The Wildcats recorded 12 wins throughout the weekend, claiming eight of 22 singles matches and four of 12 doubles matches.
Two freshmen – Salsa Aher and Elizabeth Stevens – competed in their first collegiate tournament ever, meanwhile facing some of the strongest teams in the nation including host Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi State.
From Pune, India, Aher was the solo UK player to earn a victory on the opening day of the tournament, carding a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 defeat over Georgia’s Alee Clayton. The newcomer went on to record another singles win on Sunday, defeating Alabama’s Sydney Orefice in rapid 6-2, 6-3 decision.
Aher and Akvile Paražinskaite were the only two UK players to win at least two singles matches, while Lesedi Jacobs and Anastasia Tkachenko were the only two UK players to win at least two doubles matches.
On August 27, the league established guidelines for the fall segment of the men’s and women’s tennis seasons. Teams may compete in up to three events beginning no earlier than October 1, and teams are limited to events involving league schools or non-conference teams from the school’s geographic region.
This weekend’s results are as follows:
Friday, Oct. 9
Doubles
Ariana Arseneault/Katarina Jokic (Georgia) def. Akvile Paražinskaite/Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) 6-3
Elena Christofi/Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) def. Anastasia Tkachenko/Lesedi Jacobs (Kentucky) 6-3
Marta Gonzalez/Meg Kowalski (Georgia) def. Carlota Molina/Carla Girbau (Kentucky) 6-2
Anna Hertel/ Alee Clayton (Georgia) def. Salsa Aher/Maialen Morante (Kentucky) 6-0//
Singles
Katarina Jokic (Georgia) def. Lesedi Jacobs (Kentucky) 6-0, 6-1
Meg Kowalski (Georgia) def. Akvile Paražinskaite (Kentucky) 6-0, 6-2
Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) def. Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-1
Marta Gonzalez (Georgia) def. Carlota Molina (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-3
Ariana Arseneault (Georgia) def. Carla Girbau (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-0
Elena Christofi (Georgia) … Maialen Morante (Kentucky) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Anna Hertel (Georgia) def. Anastasia Tkachenko (Kentucky) 6-4, 6-2
Salsa Aher (Kentucky) def. CRT 1 Alee Clayton (Georgia) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
Saturday, Oct. 10
Doubles
Akvile Paražinskaite/Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) def. Isabella Harvison/Moka Ito (Alabama) 6-4
Lesedi Jacobs/Anastasia Tkachenko (Kentucky) def. Alba Cortina Pou/Anne Marie Hiser (Alabama) 7-6
Sydney Riley/Anna Parkhomenko (Alabama) def. Carlota Molina/Carla Girbau (Kentucky) 6-4
Maialen Morante/Salsa Aher (Kentucky) def. Sasha Gorchanyuk/Vanesa Nikolovova (Alabama) 6-3
Singles
Anne Marie Hiser (Alabama) def. Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) 6-4, 6-1
Isabella Harvison (Alabama) def. Carlota Molina (Kentucky) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Lesedi Jacobs (Kentucky) def. Moka Ito (Alabama) 6-2, 6-4
Akvile Paražinskaite (Kentucky) def. Alba Cortina Pou (Alabama) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Maialen Morante (Kentucky) def. Anna Parkhomenko (Alabama) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Anastasia Tkachenko (Kentucky) def. Sydney Riley (Alabama) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Salsa Aher (Kentucky) def. Sydney Orefice (Alabama) 6-2, 6-3
Carla Girbau (Kentucky) def. Vanesa Nikolovova (Alabama) 6-2, 6-4
Sunday, Oct. 11
Doubles
McCartney Kessler/Marlee Zein (Florida) def. Akvile Paražinskaite/Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) 7-6(4)
Lesedi Jacobs/Anastasia Tkachenko (Kentucky) def. Lilian Poling/Tamara Racine (Mississippi State) 7-6(0)
Sydney Berlin/Sara Dahlstrom (Florida) def. Carla Girbau/Carlota Molina (Kentucky) 6-3
Alexandra Mikhailuk/Marta Falceto (Mississippi State) def. Maialen Morante/Salsa Aher (Kentucky) 6-2
Singles
Marlee Zein (Florida) def. Lesedi Jacobs (Kentucky) 6-7(2), 7-5, 1-0 (5)
Akvile Paražinskaite (Kentucky) def. Tamara Racine (Mississippi State) 6-2, 2-0, ret.
Sara Dahlstrom (Florida) def. Maialen Morante (Kentucky) 6-2, 6-1
Alexandra Mikhailuk (Mississippi State) def. Elizabeth Stevens (Kentucky) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Sydney Berlin (Florida) def. Anastasia Tkachenko (Kentucky) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(11)
Lilian Poling (Mississippi State) def. Salsa Aher (Kentucky) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
