May 10, 2014
NASHVILLE – The #19 Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (14-10) was edged by #10 Vanderbilt (21-5), 4-2, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center on Saturday evening.
“Today was a really, really rough match,” head coach Rodney Harmon said. “We had a rough match with them in Nebraska. They have a really good team. They are number 10 in the country. They won against some good teams this year. They are gutsy and they are tough. They out-toughed us today.”
The Yellow Jackets dropped the doubles point and three singles matches to host Vanderbilt but had two Jackets, senior Muriel Wacker and sophomore Rasheeda McAdoo, win their singles matches.
Sophomore Natasha Prokhenvska and Wacker were the first to finish up in doubles, falling to Frances Altick and Marie Casares, 8-2, on court two.
The #6-ranked duo of Megan Kurey and Kendal Woodard lost only their sixth doubles match of the season, falling to #20-ranked Lauren Mira and Courtney Colton, 8-3, at the number one spot. Vanderbilt headed into singles play with a 1-0 advantage.
“We came out and we didn’t play well in doubles but they did,” Harmon said. “We had chances at one to win. We won at three and five. We were up a four. We were up 3-1 in the third at four. We just couldn’t get anything done at six. We just lost some tight matches in there.”
The Jackets jumped ahead, 2-1, thanks to Wackers and McAdoo’s singles success. Wacker recorded her second-straight NCAA Tournament victory, dropping Ashleigh Antal in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-0, on court five. Wacker’s victory tied up the score at 1-1.
After cruising to a 6-1 victory in set one against #103 Marie Casares, McAdoo found herself in a 6-6 tie in set two. McAdoo battled it out with Casares in the tiebreaker, winning 8-6, and putting the Jackets ahead, 2-1, in the match.
The match was back at a tie after Woodard suffered a three-set defeat to #64 Georgina Sellyn. After Sellyn won set one, 6-3, Woodard came back to take set two, 6-1. In set three, Woodard hung right with Sellyn, but the Commodore won the set, 7-5.
The Commodores retook the lead, 3-2, on court six, after freshman Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer lost, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 to Mira.
On court two, Kurey lost her first set to #48 Altick, 6-3. In set two, Kurey kept the score close, tying the match at 6-6. Altick edged Kurey in the tiebreaker, 9-7, to clinch the win for Vanderbilt.
The match marks the end of senior Muriel Wacker’s career for the Jackets. Wacker ends her final season leading the team in singles wins, 18, and owning a team-best 12-2 record in ACC singles matches. Wacker and doubles partner Prokhnevska, went 11-10 on court two in doubles in 2014.
“We still have a young team,” Harmon said. “We are getting better. We will have an even better performance next year. Now, we will get Megan and Kendal ready for the individual championships in Athens.”
Next up, the #6-ranked duo of Kurey and Woodard will head to the NCAA Doubles Championship which begins on May 22nd in Athens, Ga. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The duo received the sixth seed in the 32-team field.
Georgia Tech vs Vanderbilt
May 10, 2014 at Nashville, Tenn.
(Currey Tennis Center)
#10 Vanderbilt 4, #19 Georgia Tech 2
Singles competition
1. #64 Georgina Sellyn (VU) def. Kendal Woodard (GT) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
2. #48 Frances Altick (VU) def. Megan Kurey (GT) 6-3, 7-6 (9-7)
3. Rasheeda McAdoo (GT) def. #103 Marie Casares (VU) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6)
4. #82 Courtney Colton (VU) vs. Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) 7-5, 4-6, 1-2, unfinished
5. Muriel Wacker (GT) def. Ashleigh Antal (VU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Lauren Mira (VU) def. Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #20 Lauren Mira/Courtney Colton (VU) def. #6 Megan Kurey/Kendal Woodard (GT) 8-3
2. Frances Altick/Marie Casares (VU) def. Muriel Wacker/Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) 8-2
3. Georgina Sellyn/Ashleigh Antal (VU) vs. Rasheeda McAdoo/Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT) 7-6, unfinished
Match Notes:
Georgia Tech 14-10; National ranking #19
Vanderbilt 21-5; National ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (5,3,1,6,2)
NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament
Second Round
Vanderbilt Advances to the Sweet 16
–RamblinWreck.com–
