Coming off its fourth straight victory over a ranked Southeastern Conference foe, No. 13 Kentucky women’s tennis team will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Friday to take on 45th-ranked Alabama. First serve against the Crimson Tide will be at 6 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats (12-2, 4-1 SEC) own a 27-13 edge in the overall series between the two teams. Last season, UK earned a 4-3 victory in Lexington.
KENTUCKY ATHLETES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Kentucky’s veteran duo of senior Aldila Sutjiadi and junior Mami Adachi move up to fourth this week in the ITA rankings. They began 2017 as the nation’s top-ranked tandem after winning their first national title at the UTSA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships on Nov. 22. The twosome is 9-3 in the spring season, including a 3-1 mark in SEC play.
Individually, Sutjiadi is UK’s top-ranked singles player, holding the No. 19 singles spot. In the fall season, Sutjiadi won the singles title at the 2016 Ohio Valley Regional Championships. The senior owns a 5-4 record in dual matches this season.
Sophomore Akvilė Paražinskaitė re-entered the singles rankings this week at No. 125, after downing then-No. 65 Christina Rosca of Vanderbilt on Saturday. Paražinskaitė owns a 10-1 record in dual matches this season, including a 4-1 mark in league action.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Coming off a 5-2 loss to then-No. 22 Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon, Alabama is 6-10 in dual matches this season having dropped all six of its SEC matches.
Senior Erin Routliffe is Alabama’s lone ranked singles player at No. 38 in the national standings. In doubles, Routliffe teams up with freshman Maddie Pothoff to form the 25th-ranked duo.
NEXT UP
Kentucky will continue its road stretch at noon on Sunday against No. 11 Auburn. The Tigers are 18-4, 2-3 in conference play this season.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKWomensTennis and on the web at UKathletics.com.
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Karlie Kinneer
