Kentucky Women’s Tennis Begins Fall Season at SEC Challenge
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team is primed to begin the fall season at the Southeastern Conference Challenge in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, October 9-11. Teams competing at the fall opener feature a strong field of conference foes including host Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida and Mississippi State.
The teams will play in a round-robin, hidden-dual format in both singles and doubles contests. There will be a singles and a doubles champion crowned at the conclusion of the tournament.
The proposed schedule is as follows:
Friday, Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. ET – Georgia vs. Kentucky (doubles, followed by singles)
Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. ET – Alabama vs. Kentucky (doubles, followed by singles)
Sunday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. ET – Kentucky vs. Florida/Mississippi State (doubles, followed by singles)
Live scoring will not be available, but a live stream may be available at a later time. Fans are encouraged to check the online schedule often for the most up-to-date links and information.
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.
Kentucky returns all seven of its student-athletes from its shortened 2019-20 season and has added five newcomers to the program, raising the roster total to 12 student-athletes. The additions — Salsa Aher, Fiona Arrese, Amanda Miller, Mina Obradovic and Elizabeth Stevens – represent four countries including India (1), Serbia (1), Spain (1) and United States (2).
Granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 public-health threat, four student-athletes have returned for an additional season – Lesedi Jacobs, Anastasia Tkachenko, Diana Tkachenko and Akvile Paražinskaite.
Jacobs ended last season performing at the peak of her career before it was cut short, going undefeated in the SEC. She put together a flawless 3-0 singles record and a spotless 4-0 doubles record in the conference, while competing against the league’s toughest competition on the No. 1 singles court. Even more impressive, Jacobs achieved a 21-2 doubles record through fall and spring action.
Combined with Paražinskaite, the tandem logged a successful fall resume in 2019, collecting two doubles championships and an automatic entry into the ITA Fall Nationals Main Doubles Draw. There, Jacobs and Paražinskaite reached the Round of 16 after defeating the No. 20-ranked pair in the nation, before falling to the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
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.
