Baylor
Vanderbilt
No. 16 WT Falls at No. 2 Vanderbilt
2/2/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
THE RUNDOWN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - No. 16 Baylor women's tennis met No. 2 Vanderbilt in a tough road matchup on Friday afternoon and fell, 6-1. The Commodores, who returned a strong core of players, won regular season and tournament SEC titles and advanced to the 2017 NCAA Final Four.
Despite a battle at No. 2 doubles between freshman Dominika Sujova and sophomore Angelina Shakhraichuk and 43rd ranked Emily Smith and Emma Kurtz, which went unfinished 4-4, the Commodores won the doubles point with 6-2 victories in the No. 1 and No. 3 slots for the advantage.
Vanderbilt used wins at No. 2 singles by fourth-ranked Fernanda Contreras, 6-1, 6-1, and at No. 5 singles by 96th-ranked Sumer Dvorak, 6-2, 6-1, to build upon its lead.
Baylor freshman Camilla Abbate broke Baylor into the scoring column with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Emma Kurtz at No. 4 singles. She is off to a strong start with the Bears with a 3-0 record in the No. 4 singles slot after joining the team as a sophomore transfer from the University of Bologna in January.
The Commodores responded with a win at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the match, however with the teams electing to play it out action continued.
Shakhraichuk battled through three sets at No. 3 singles, coming back from a 6-0 loss in the first set with a 6-4 second set win. Her opponent Christina Rosca edged her in the final set, 6-4, to record the win.
Vanderbilt rounded out singles action with a 6-4, 6-0 win at the No. 6 position to close the match.
OTHER NOTABLES
- No. 16 Baylor is 2-1 on the season, its lone loss coming at No. 2 Vanderbilt, reigning SEC Champions and 2017 NCAA Final Four participant.
- Sophomore Camilla Abbate remains undefeated on the season with a 3-0 mark at No. 4 singles.
UP NEXT
No. 16 Baylor continues its road trip with a dual match at Kentucky on Sunday, Feb. 4. First serve is set for 9 a.m. (CT). Fans can follow the Bears' match against the Wildcats through live stats. A link is available on the women's tennis schedule page at www.baylorbears.com.
For an inside look at the Baylor women's tennis program, follow the team's official social media accounts (@BaylorWTennis on Twitter and Instagram, /BaylorWTennis on Facebook).
