Kentucky Women’s Tennis Set to Host Three Matches This Weekend
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Continuing its challenging stretch of six home matches in seven days, the Kentucky women’s tennis team is set to host three opponents at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center this weekend. The Wildcats will play No. 11 Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 18 before taking on West Virginia and Austin Peay on Sunday, Feb. 20.
The match against the Buckeyes — UK’s first ranked opponent of the year — is slated for 4 p.m. ET. Sunday’s doubleheader will begin at 10 a.m. versus the Mountaineers, while first serve with the Governors will commence at 3 p.m.
The Wildcats enter Friday’s contest with a perfect 9-0 record on the season to match their best start since 2009. A win against the Buckeyes would be the first time in program history the team has 10-straight wins and would also be its first against a ranked competitor since besting No. 19 Ole Miss on April 20, 2021.
Kentucky picked up its ninth victory on Feb. 15 against Indiana in Lexington, sweeping the Hoosiers in a decisive 4-0 outcome. Lidia Gonzalez and Carlota Molina clinched the doubles point for the home team, while Fiona Arrese, Carla Girbau and Florencia Urrutia earned singles victories.
In total, Kentucky has won seven out of the nine doubles points for a 15-5 doubles record, also boasting a 29-11 singles record. Urrutia paces the team with an unblemished 8-0 mark in singles action and has teamed up with Arrese for a 5-1 mark in doubles.
Ohio State will arrive in Lexington with a 4-3 record, most recently defeating No. 13 Auburn, 4-3, at ITA Indoor Nationals. The Buckeyes, who will be the Wildcats’ first ranked opponent this year, landed at No. 11 in the most recent ITA poll. UK owns a 13-6 record versus OSU but suffered a 4-1 loss in its last matchup with the then-No. 6 Big Ten foe on Feb. 21, 2020, in Columbus.
Fresh off a 5-2 victory against Youngstown State, West Virginia enters Sunday’s tilt having a 4-2 mark on its young season. Sunday will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and Mountaineers since 1982.
The match with Kentucky will be Austin Peay’s fourth contest this season due to a series of cancellations and postponements. The Governors, who boast a 0-3 record, dropped a 4-3 decision against Middle Tennessee State in their last outing on Jan. 30. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
Admission to all home tennis matches will be free for the 2022 season. Capacity at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center is limited and will be based on a first come, first serve basis.
Regardless of an individual’s vaccination status, all fans, guests, and staff are required to wear a mask as they enter, exit, and move around the building. If spectators are unable to wear masks, they are encouraged to not attend matches in person for the sake of their health and the health of others.
Free parking options include the three small E-lots adjacent to the facility 90 minutes prior to the first match. Spectators may also pay to park in the Sports Center Garage (PS No. 7) on the corner of Complex Drive and Sports Center Drive. The cost of parking is $2 per hour with a $16 maximum.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
