Wildcats Record 24 Singles, Doubles Wins at ITA Regional Championships
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Competing in its second fall tournament of the season, the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team concluded a successful showing at the ITA Regional Championships hosted by Middle Tennessee State from Oct. 21-25.
The Wildcats recorded 24 wins throughout the invitational, claiming 13 of the 20 singles matches and 11 of the 13 doubles matches at the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
“There were a lot of highlights from this tournament,” said head coach Carlos Drada. “Our team continues to grow and I am excited for the remainder of the season and the progress we will continue to make moving forward.”
The tandem of Carlota Molina and Elizabeth Stevens impressed in the doubles main draw, advancing through the opening five rounds to qualify for finals before ultimately falling to Indiana’s Laura Masic and Lara Schneider, 6-3, 6-2. Ellie Eades and Carla Girbau were also semifinalists in doubles competition.
Six Wildcats competed in the singles main draw with four advancing to the Round of 32. Girbau led the way for the Wildcats in singles as a quarterfinalist while Stevens and Fiona Arrese made it to the Round of 16.
Singles Main Draw Round of 128
Molina (Kentucky) def. Paladini-Jennings (Austin Peay), 6-1, 6-4
Morante (Kentucky) def. Barnard (Middle Tennessee), 6-4, 6-3
Gallardo Guerva (Purdue) def. Eades (Kentucky), 6-2, 6-2
Girbau (Kentucky) def. Elizarraras (East Tennessee State), 6-2, 6-2
Stevens (Kentucky) def. Lee (Butler), 6-4, 7-6(4)
Arrese (Kentucky) def. Schmidt (Middle Tennessee), 6-1, 6-2
Singles Main Draw Round of 64
Molina (Kentucky) def. Mclay (Cincinnati), 7-5, 6-4
Shimizu (Purdue) def. Morante (Kentucky), 7-6(4), 6-4
Girbau (Kentucky) def. Gupta (Middle Tennessee), 6-0, 6-1
Stevens (Kentucky) def. Guna (Cincinnati), 6-2, 6-0
Arrese (Kentucky) def. Abel (UT-Chattanooga), 6-4, 7-6(3)
Singles Main Draw Round of 32
Cruz (Vanderbilt) def. Molina (Kentucky), 6-2, 6-3
Girbau (Kentucky) def. Graham (Xavier), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
Stevens (Kentucky) def. Nwaozuzu (Xavier), 6-0, 7-6(4)
Arrese (Kentucky) def. Boesing (Butler), 6-1, 6-1
Singles Main Draw Round of 16
Girbau (Kentucky) def. Teixido-Garcia (Memphis), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3)
Kourkina (Vanderbilt) def. Stevens (Kentucky), 6-3 7-6(5)
Tomase (Tennessee) def. Arrese (Kentucky), 6-0, 6-1
Singles Main Draw Quarterfinals
Symons (Tennessee) def. Girbau (Kentucky), 6-4, 6-1
Singles Main Draw Consolation Round of 64
Billman (UT-Chattanooga) def. Eades (Kentucky), 1-6, 6-1 [11-9]
Doubles Main Draw Round of 64
Molina/Stevens (Kentucky) def. Getty/Trondson (Butler), 8-1
Eades/Girbau (Kentucky) def. Balthazor/Beavin (Butler), 8-6
Arrese/Gonzalez (Kentucky) def. Cheng/Paladini/Jennings (Austin Peay), 8-5
Doubles Main Draw Round of 32
Molina/Stevens (Kentucky) def. Zalukar/Valentinsson (Miami Ohio), 8-2
Eades/Girbau (Kentucky) def. Milic/Larranaga (Purdue), 8-2
Arrese/Gonzalez (Kentucky) def. Duckworth/Creath (Tennessee), 8-6
Doubles Main Draw Round of 16
Molina/Stevens (Kentucky) def. Stevens/Rompf (Vanderbilt), 8-4
Eades/Girbau (Kentucky) def. Smith/Nwaozuzu (Xavier), 8-1
Masic/Schneider (Indiana) def. Arrese/Gonzalez (Kentucky), 8-7(5)
Doubles Main Draw Quarterfinals
Molina/Stevens (Kentucky) def. Roggenburk/Graham (Xavier), 8-3
Eades/Girbau (Kentucky) def. Mertena/Tomase (Tennessee), 8-4
Doubles Main Draw Semifinals
Molina/Stevens (Kentucky) def. Eades/Girbau (Kentucky), 6-3, 1-6 [12-10]
Doubles Main Draw Finals
Masic/Schneider (Indiana) def. Molina/Stevens (Kentucky), 6-3, 6-2
The Wildcats return to the Volunteer State for the third time this fall as they participate at the Tennessee Invitational from Oct. 29-31 at the Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville.
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.
