Northern Kentucky women’s tennis opened up the 2018 season against nationally-ranked competition, falling in a 4-0 clinch decision to No. 21 Kentucky.
Match Notables
· Kentucky took the opening point by way of wins on the No. 1 and 3 doubles courts. Diana Tkachenko and Brianna Tulloch blanked Alyssa Defiglio and Hannah Watton, 6-0 in the No. 3 slot, while Mami Adachi and Emily Fanning took a 6-1 win in the top flight over Maria Koo and Taylor Culbertson.
· Similar to the men’s outcome last week, every Norse was able to take at least one game off their Wildcat counterpart in singles.
· Sydney Power had a stronger second set against Adachi in No. 4 singles, falling 6-0, 6-2 to the UK All-American.
· In No. 3 singles, Lesedi Jacobs took a 6-1 first set in Taylor Culbertson’s spring debut, but the freshman had a more competitive second set, falling 6-3.
· Koo also had her spring debut in singles, appearing in the No. 2 spot of NKU’s lineup against Mikulskytė. She fell in a 6-2, 6-1 match.
· Sunjic’s match against Fanning in the No. 1 singles match was abandoned once the Wildcats had clinched the win, but she was in the process of forcing a third set with a 4-3 lead at the time of abandonment.
NKU stays in-state for its next match, traveling Louisville, Kentucky, to take on another Power Five institution from the Bluegrass. First serve against the Cardinals is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
Agate
No. 21 Kentucky 4, Northern Kentucky 0
Singles (Order of Finish: 4,3,2)
1. Emily Fanning (UK) vs. Margita Sunjic (NKU) 6-1, 4-3, abandoned
2. Justina Mikulskytė (UK) def. Maria Koo (NKU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Lesedi Jacobs (UK) def. Taylor Culbertson (NKU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Mami Adachi (UK) def. Sydney Power (NKU) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles (Order of Finish: 3,1)
1. Mami Adachi/Emily Fanning (UK) def. Maria Koo/Taylor Culbertson (NKU) 6-1
2. Justina Mikulskytė/Lesedi Jacobs (UK) vs. Margita Sunjic/Sydney Power (NKU) 4-1, abandoned
3. Diana Tkachenko/Briana Tulloch (UK) def. Alyssa Defiglio/Hannah Watton (NKU) 6-0
#TakeNotice
Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University
