March 10, 2013
THE FLATS – With a large home crowd behind her, senior Elizabeth Kilborn capped a dramatic 4-3 win for No. 32 Georgia Tech over No. 16 Florida State Sunday afternoon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Kilborn, ranked No. 65, rallied from a 6-4 first set loss to FSU’s Daneika Borthwick, ranked No. 37, on court one and forced the decisive third set with a 6-4 second set victory. The third set was close throughout. Kilborn went up 3-2 early on a double fault by Borthwick, but the Seminole got the break right back to tie the set 3-3. After each held serve, Kilborn earned another break to go up 5-4 and the opportunity to serve for the match.
When Borthwick couldn’t return the volley on the fifth point of the game, the Yellow Jacket comeback was complete and the Jackets had secured the victory.
It was the 80th career win for Kilborn, as she became just the 11th Yellow Jacket all-time to win 80 career singles matches. The win improves Tech to 6-5 overall and 1-2 in the ACC this year while FSU drops to 8-4 overall and 1-2 in league play.
“We played really well today. We competed hard all the way and it was a great team win,” head coach Rodney Harmon said. “After a tough match yesterday, it was important to come back and have this kind of effort today. Our freshmen played really well, we got three singles wins from them today, and Elizabeth continues to play very well.
“Florida State is number 16, Miami was number 13, we host number 15 Notre Dame next weekend and then Northwestern, who is the top 10. We have to keep getting better and build on wins like this,” Harmon added.
Tech’s No. 1 tandem of Megan Kurey and Kendal Woodard continued to cruise in doubles play. The Jacket duo jumped out to a 5-0 lead and closed out an 8-3 win over Florida State’s Francesca Segarelli and Kristina Schleich. Kurey and Woodard improved to 14-4 in doubles play this year and 10-1 in dual matches.
The Noles’ Daneika Borthwick and Kerrie Cartwright claimed an 8-2 win on court two over the Yellow Jackets’ Elizabeth Kilborn and Jasmine Minor.
Tech’s No. 3 pair of Muriel Wacker and Natasha Prokhnevska rallied from a 6-3 deficit to pull within 6-5 but couldn’t complete the comeback as FSU’s team of Mia Vriens and Amy Sargeant earned an 8-5 win to clinch the doubles point for Florida State.
FSU took a 2-0 team lead when Schleich downed Tech’s Minor, 6-3, 6-3 on court six.
Prokhnevska, playing at No. 2 singles for the first time, put Georgia Tech on the board with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Noles’ Vriens. Woodard leveled the team score with a tough 7-6, 7-5 win over FSU’s Sargeant on court three for her team-best 14th singles win.
Florida State’s Cartwright edged the Seminoles ahead with a 6-4, 7-6 win over Wacker on court five. Kurey rebounded from a 6-4 first set loss to win sets two and three, 6-2, 6-1, and even the team score at 3-3 before Kilborn clinched the win.
Georgia Tech will face No. 15 Notre Dame at 12 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. Tech and Notre Dame met in the opener of the 2013 ITA Kick-Off Weekend with the Irish sneaking out a 4-3 victory.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s tennis on Twitter, @GT_WTEN, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensTennis, for an inside look at the program.
Florida State vs Georgia Tech
Mar 10, 2013 at Atlanta, Ga.
(Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
#32 Georgia Tech 4, #16 Florida State 3
Singles competition
1. #65 Elizabeth Kilborn (GT) def. #37 Borthwick, Daneika (FSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) def. #118 Vriens, Mia (FSU) 6-1, 6-4
3. #104 Kendal Woodard (GT) def. Sargeant, Amy (FSU) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
4. Megan Kurey (GT) def. #72 Segarelli, Francesca (FSU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
5. Cartwright, Kerrie (FSU) def. Muriel Wacker (GT) 6-4, 7-6
6. Schleich, Kristina (FSU) def. Jasmine Minor (GT) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Kendal Woodard/Megan Kurey (GT) def. Segarelli, Francesca/Schleich, Kristina (FSU) 8-3
2. Borthwick, Daneika/Cartwright, Kerrie (FSU) def. Elizabeth Kilborn/Jasmine Minor (GT) 8-2
3. Vriens, Mia/Sargeant, Amy (FSU) def. Muriel Wacker/Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) 8-5
Match Notes:
Florida State 8-4, 1-2 ACC; National ranking #16
Georgia Tech 6-5, 1-2 ACC; National ranking #32
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,2,3,5,4,1)
Match played indoors
–RamblinWreck.com–
