Kennedy Shaffer prepares to serve the ball during the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga., on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. (Photo by Sean Taylor)
The 4th ranked Georgia women’s tennis team took a 4-0 win in their Friday match against Wyoming, skunking the 74th ranked Cowboys women’s team in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend event.
Four teams were in action at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility. Up next, Georgia will face Old Dominion in the Championship on Sunday at 1 p.m. while Tulane and Wyoming play a consolation match Saturday at 5 p.m.
“The first thing that you think about is the hard work they’re putting in before this day gets here,” Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. “They’ve really been doing that and a great job with it. Then you want them to apply all that out here on the match court. We’ve been working a lot on our serves and our doubles were really great. It was exciting to see the first point of the 2016 season was Kennedy Shaffer with an ace. That’s a nice way to start off the year. We were competitive.”
Georgia sophomore Ellen Perez, who arrived back in Athens late Thursday night from competing in the Australian Open (main draw of doubles), helped the Bulldogs get to the championship round by clinching the doubles point.
In doubles, Georgia earned a 6-2 win from the duo of Shaffer and Laura Patterson at No. 3 before Perez and Mariana Gould clinched the point for the Bulldogs with a 6-3 victory at No. 1.
In singles, Georgia clinched the win against Wyoming, collecting three victories in straight sets. Shaffer won at No. 4 to put Georgia up 2-0 before Silvia Garcia took the point at No. 3 to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 3-0. Caroline Brinson clinched the win for the Bulldogs at No. 2 with a 6-1,6-2 decision over Nastya Tokareva.
“There’s been a lot of excitement building up to this match, the first match back,” Brinson said. “The beginning of the doubles was a little nerve-wracking but I think once that’s out of the way and you go into singles, you’re loosened up and ready to be out there. It was fun just being out there and everyone competing really hard.”
Previously in the first round, Old Dominion beat Tulane 4-2. No. 65 Tulane took an early 1-0 lead after capturing the doubles point. Then, Old Dominion and Tulane swapped points throughout the first three matches of singles play before the Monarchs took the final two points of the match with one remaining unfinished.
The Monarchs earned wins at No. 1, 3, 4 and 6 to complete a comeback. The match was clinched by Ivana Vukovic at No. 6 as she defeated Sofia Kurtz 6-2,7-6(2).
ITA Kick-Off Weekend Match Results
Georgia vs. Wyoming
Jan 22, 2016 at Athens, GA
(Dan Magill Tennis Complex)
No.4 Georgia – 4 over No.74 Wyoming – 0
Singles competition
1. #12 Ellen Perez (UGA) vs. Magdalena STENCEL (WY) 6-2, 6-5, unfinished
2. #22 Caroline Brinson (UGA) def. Nastya TOKAREVA (WY) 6-1, 6-2
3. #82 Silvia Garcia (UGA) def. Dorottya JONAS (WY) 6-1, 6-2
4. #109 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. Elisa KOONIK (WY) 6-1, 6-1
5. Mariana Gould (UGA) vs. Miranda TALBERT (WY) 0-1, unfinished
6. Sanne HOEKSTRA (WY) vs. Laura Patterson (UGA) Scheduled but not played
Doubles competition
1. #14 Ellen Perez/Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Magdalena STENCEL/Nastya TOKAREVA (WY) 6-3
2. Silvia Garcia/Caroline Brinson (UGA) vs. Miranda TALBERT/Dorottya JONAS (WY) 4-3, unfinished
3. Kennedy Shaffer/Laura Patterson (UGA) def. Elisa KOONIK/Sanne HOEKSTRA (WY) 6-2
Match Notes
Wyoming 2-2; National ranking #74
Georgia 1-0; National ranking #4
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,3,2)
ITA Kick-Off Weekend
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
The Georgia women advance to face ODU in the championship match on Sunday at 1 PM, and Tulane will face off against Wyoming in the consolation match on Saturday at 5 PM.
Tulane vs. Old Dominion
Jan 22, 2016 at Athens, Ga.
(Hopkins Indoor Courts)
No. 57 Old Dominion – 4 over No. 65 Tulane – 2
Singles competition
1. Nikol Hristova (ODU) def. Naz Karagoz (TLN) 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 6-0
2. Kyla Klier (TLN) def. Nataliya Vlasova (ODU) 6-3, 6-1
3. Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) def. Ipek Birol (TLN) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
4. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) def. Elena Muller (TLN) 6-2, 6-2
5. Marijana Novakovic (ODU) vs. Jacqui Katz (TLN) 6-3, 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
6. Ivana Vukovic (ODU) def. Sofia Kurtz (TLN) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
Doubles competition
1. Ipek Birol/Sade Atkinson (TLN) def. Nikol Hristova/Marijana Novakovic (ODU) 6-1
2. Nataliya Vlasova/Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) def. Kyla Klier/Sofia Kurtz (TLN) 7-5
3. Elena Muller/Naz Karagoz (TLN) def. Ivana Vukovic/Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) 7-6 (7-4)
Match Notes
Tulane 0-2; National ranking #65
Old Dominion 1-1; National ranking #57
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (4,2,3,1,6)
ITA Kick-Off Weekend 1st Round
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
ODU advances to Sunday’s Championship versus Georgia at 1 pm, and Tulane plays in the consolation against Wyoming on Saturday at 5 pm
For more information on the Georgia Women’s Tennis team, follow the team on:
Twitter: @UGAWomensTennis
Instagram: @ugawomenstennis