The No. 14 Kentucky women’s tennis team will take on its first top-10 Southeastern Conference foe when it plays host to 10th-ranked Vanderbilt inside the Boone Tennis Center on Saturday. First serve is set for 4 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats are 11-2 overall, 3-1 in the SEC this season including a spotless 6-0 record in Lexington. UK is coming off a three-match win streak, all over ranked league opponents.
Kentucky trails Vandy in the overall series between the two programs 18-30. In the last dual match between the two teams, the Wildcats suffered a 5-2 setback in Nashville.
KENTUCKY ATHLETES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Kentucky’s veteran duo of senior Aldila Sutjiadi and junior Mami Adachi are ranked fifth among Division I pairs. 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 8-3 in the spring season, including a 2-1 mark in SEC play.
Individually, Sutjiadi is UK’s top-ranked singles player, holding the No. 16 singles spot. In the fall season, Sutjiadi won the singles title at the 2016 Ohio Valley Regional Championships. The senior owns a 5-3 record in dual matches this season.
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES
Vanderbilt is 9-4 in dual matches this season, but owns a perfect 4-0 mark in league play. Most recently the Commodores picked up a 5-2 victory over No. 23 Ole Miss.
The Commodores’ lineup boasts three ranked doubles combinations in Astra Sharma/Emily Smith (20), Sharma/Emma Kurtz (45) and Smith/Fernanda Contreras (57). In singles, Sharma holds down the No. 5 overall ranking while Smith comes in just behind her, ranked eighth. VU’s Christina Rosca is also ranked 65th.
NEXT UP
Kentucky will hit the road next weekend to take on Alabama on Friday, March 24 and Auburn on Sunday. Friday’s match is set for a 6 p.m. start, while Sunday’s contest will begin at noon.
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.
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For more information contact:
Karlie Kinneer