Jan. 28, 2012
Complete Results | Photo Gallery
Atlanta – The Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (3-1) recorded a 4-0 win over the No. 27 South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1) Saturday afternoon at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. With the win, the 13th-ranked Yellow Jackets advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships to be held at the Boar’s Head Club in Charlottesville, Va., Feb. 10-13.
Head Coach Bryan Shelton has talked about Tech’s depth so far this year and it showed off today. Tech jumped out to quick leads on all three doubles courts and for the fourth time in four dual matches, the Yellow Jackets began the match by winning the first point in doubles.
“I thought we played really well today,” Shelton said. “We executed when we needed to execute out there. I was happy to see us play well from behind the baseline, but what really pleased me was the percentage of points we were able to win at the net today. I thought we were sticking to our patterns and working to gain an advantage in the points. Then when we did gain an advantage, we were moving forward and finishing at the net. That’s where we want to be. We want to be in a situation where we can control play with our serve and return of serve, and work our way forward and execute at the net. I was proud of the team for doing such a good job today.”
Tech’s number two team of senior Lynn Blau and junior Elizabeth Kilborn improved to 6-0 this season with an 8-2 win over South Carolina’s team of Josefin Anderson and Anya Morgina on court two.
“I think we really got off to a great start on court two today,” Shelton added. “I think Lynn and Elizabeth came out and served at a high percentage. They were really working off each other’s serves at the net and helping each other out. Then on the return side of the game, we returned extremely well and kept consistent pressure on. I love the way Lynn and Elizabeth are reading what’s going on on the court and it seems like they’re always a step ahead. They’re just clicking. I’m really pleased at what they’re doing, but all of our teams are playing well, competing well and have a lot of confidence.”
Needing only one win in the final two doubles matches, the Yellow Jackets took 7-5 leads on both courts one and three.
Tech’s 33rd-ranked pair of senior Caroline Lilley and freshman Jasmine Minor clinched the doubles point for the Yellow Jackets with an 8-5 win over the Gamecocks’ team of Dominika Kanakova and Katerina Popova on court three.
The Jackets number one team of senior Jillian O’Neill and sophomore Alex Anghelescu held a 7-5 lead over South Carolina’s pair of Jacklin Alawi and Dijana Stojic when the match was stopped.
After tallying the first Jacket win of the day in doubles, Kilborn and Blau carried the momentum into singles play as they posted Tech’s first two singles wins of the day.
Kilborn earned an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win over the Gamecocks’ 80th-ranked Dijana Stojic on court three to improve to 6-1 on the year. Her doubles teammate Blau improved to 6-0 on the season with a decisive 6-2, 6-0 win over South Carolina’s Adriana Pereira on court six to give Tech a 3-0 lead.
“It’s fun to see Lynn come out and play so well,” Shelton said. “In the past, she hasn’t always had the best starts early in the season and this year she’s very determined to come out of the blocks going. I know she has more she wants to do here and she wants to finish strong. As a senior and one of the leaders of this team, I couldn’t be happier for the starts she’s had already.”
In addition to Kilborn and Blau, Tech won the first set on courts one, four and five. Senior Viet Ha Ngo was the first of the three to finish off her match and the Hanoi, Vietnam, native punched the Jackets ticket to National Team Indoor Championships with a 6-0, 6-2 win over the Gamecocks’ Katerina Popova on court four.
“One of the goals is to be at national indoors playing and be one of the 16 teams so that we get a minimum of three quality matches because they more experience we have, the better we’re going to be,” Shelton said. “We’ve played at national indoors so many years in a row and I think this team, full of so many seniors, will be ready to go there and compete for a title.”
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.
Match Results
#13 Georgia Tech vs. #27 South Carolina
Jan. 28, 2012, in Atlanta, Ga.
#13 Georgia Tech 4, #27 South Carolina 0
Doubles (Order of Finish: 2, 3)
1. Jillian O’Neill / Alex Anghelescu (GT) vs. Jacklin Alawi / Dijana Stojic (SC), 7-5, susp.
2. Lynn Blau / Elizabeth Kilborn (GT) def. Josefin Anderson / Anya Morgina (SC), 8-2
3. #33 Caroline Lilley / Jasmine Minor (GT) def. Dominika Kanakova / Katerina Popova (SC), 8-5
Singles (Order of Finish: (3, 6, 4)
1. #45 Jillian O’Neill (GT) vs. #20 Anya Morgina (SC), 6-3, 1-6, susp.
2. #33 Jaklin Alawi (SC) vs. Caroline Lilley (GT), 6-3, 3-3, susp.
3. Elizabeth Kilborn (GT) def. #80 Dijana Stojic (SC), 6-1, 6-0
4. #106 Viet Ha Ngo (GT) def. Katerina Popova (SC), 6-0, 6-2
5. Jasmine Minor (GT) vs. Dominika Kanakova (SC), 6-2, 2-4, susp.
6. Lynn Blau (GT) def. Adriana Pereira (SC), 6-2, 6-0
Match Notes:
Georgia Tech 3-1, national ranking #13
South Carolina 2-1, national ranking #27
— RamblinWreck.com —
