Florida Gators
Vanderbilt
No. 1 Women's Tennis Shocked at No. 10 Vandy, 4-3
Monday, March 17, 2003 | Women's Tennis
The top-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team was shocked Sunday afternoon, as 10th-ranked Vanderbilt fed off an energized crowd at the Brownlee O. Currey Tennis Center to upset the Gators 4-3. The loss snapped Florida's eight-match win streak and marked its first-ever defeat to the Commodores (13-3, 4-2 SEC) in 28 meetings.
"This is a very disappointing loss," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "We had opportunities to win the doubles point and didn't take advantage. Overall, this match shows we still have a lot to work on and that we can still get much better. Vanderbilt is a very good tennis team and we have to tip our hats to them. We're going to get back to the courts and improve from today's match."
Sunday's contest capped a five-match road trip for the Gators (14-2, 5-1 SEC), who next play host to non-conference foe Clemson on Friday, March 21 at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
Vanderbilt rallied to win the doubles point, collecting victories at the No. 1 and 2 positions. UF's eighth-ranked pair of Alexis Gordon and Julia Scaringe lost 8-3 to Kelly Schmandt and Audra Falk at the No. 2 spot to give the Commodores a quick advantage and put the pressure on the Gators remaining doubles teams. Lindsay Dawaf and Julie Rotondi led their No. 1 match 7-5, but couldn't close out the battle as fourth-ranked Sarah Riske and Aleke Tsoubanos provided the clinching doubles-point victory with a 9-7 decision.
In singles action, Florida won at the No. 2, 4 and 5 spots, with Lindsay Dawaf, Zerene Reyes and Alexis Gordon each collecting victories, but it wasn't enough, as the Gators fell at the other three positions.
Individually, Reyes extended her singles winning streak to 13 straight, however Rotondi lost for the first time in 11 outings and Jennifer Magley saw her eight-match win streak end, as her outcome proved to be the clinching match in today's contest.
College Women's Tennis
Brownlee O'Currey Tennis Center, Nashville, TN
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Final Score: Vanderbilt 4, Florida 3
Doubles
1. Riski/Tsoubanso (4), VU, d. Dawaf/Rotondi (12), UF, 9-7*
2. Falk/Schmandt (57), VU, d. Gordon/Scaringe (8), UF, 8-3
3. Reyes/Magley, UF, d. Menees/Schellhas, VU, 8-6
Singles
1. Sarah Riske (13), VU, d. Julia Scaringe (37), UF, 6-2, 7-5
2. Lindsay Dawaf (15), UF, d. Kelly Schmandt (105), VU, 6-3, 6-3
3. Aleke Tsoubanos (96), VU, d. Julie Rotondi (22), UF, 7-5, 6-4
4. Zerene Reyes (29), UF, d. Audra Falk, VU, 7-6, 6-0
5. Alexis Gordon (12), UF, d. Annie Menees, VU, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
6. Ashley Schellhas, VU, d Jennifer Magley (55), UF, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0*
END OF REPORT
