The Kentucky Women’s Tennis team began their 2023 campaign on a high note, winning both contests of a doubleheader held at the Hillary J. Boone Indoor Tennis Center on Friday. In the first match of the day, the ‘Cats swept East Tennessee State 7-0 and followed that performance with a 5-2 win over Miami (Ohio). This marks the second year in a row that Kentucky has defeated ETSU in its season opener.
The team was led by senior Florencia Urrutia, who went a combined 4-0 on opening day. Urrutia claimed a double victory on both the no. 2 singles and no. 2 doubles courts. Junior Elizabeth Stevens also had a strong performance, winning both of her matches on the no. 1 singles court, defeating two all-conference opponents. Junior transfer Makayla Mills and freshman Zoe Hammond also made impressive debuts for the team, each winning singles and doubles matches in both duals.
The Wildcats kicked off the day by winning every contest against ETSU. They raced out to claim a 1-0 lead, thanks to their convincing performance in doubles. Urrutia and Mills won their no. 2 doubles match handily, claiming a 6-1 victory. Ellie Eades and Zoe Hammond teamed up to claim the clinching doubles set, defeating their Buccaneer opponent 6-2.
In singles action, Kentucky claimed all six points, with four coming via comeback. Urrutia, Stevens, senior Carlota Molina and Sophomore Lidia Gonzalez all recovered from dropping the first set to win their matches, clinching the dual for the ‘Cats. Singles play was closed out by victories from Mills at court five and Hammond at court six, marking the maiden victory in a Wildcat uniform for both players.
In the second match against Miami (Ohio), Kentucky once again claimed the doubles point to take the early advantage. Urrutia and Stevens were the first to finish, dispatching their opponents 6-1, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-3 respectively. Freshmen Makayla Mills and Zoe Hammond also sealed the deal for the team with wins on court 5 and 6.
The Wildcats will return to the court on Sunday, Jan. 22, facing off against Illinois and Northern Illinois.
