LEXINGTON, Ky. – The women’s tennis team (11-11, 4-9 SEC) looks to build on their momentum from the past weekend, with three matches left before they head to the SEC Championship Tournament next week. The Wildcats will take the road to Nashville to face No.13 Vanderbilt on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by two matches on Sunday at No. 71 Missouri at 11:30 a.m. and at Saint Louis starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Coming off two huge victories on Sunday against No. 34 Florida and Bellarmine, one of the key performers Kentucky will look to lean on once again is junior Zoe Hammond. Hammond, ranked No. 40 in singles by the ITA, defeated two top 25 singles opponents this past weekend. Her strong play helped the team reach a season high ranking of No. 38, as did the play of freshman Asuncion Jadue who clinched the match against Florida 4-3.
Fifth-year Lizzy Stevens and senior Ellie Eades are the Wildcats lone ranked duo, checking in at No. 57. Sophomore Julia Zhu is now ranked No. 80 by the ITA, continuing to impress on court two. These individuals and the rest of the UK squad hope to go on the road and steal some victories.
Vanderbilt has three ranked singles’ players to show in Friday’s matchup, including No. 17 Celia-Bele Mohr, No. 48 Bridget Stammel, and No. 81 Valeria Ray. In doubles, the Commodores are led by No. 14 Mohr and Sophia Webster. Missouri and Saint Louis will bring challenges of their own as well, both rosters featuring athletes with experience of playing high-level opponents.
Kentucky hopes to capitalize on the opportunities this weekend in all three matches scheduled. These matches are crucial in deciding the fate of their post-season trajectory, beginning next week with the SEC Championship Tournament. Fans are encouraged to follow along this weekend on social media to see the latest from the team.
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