NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The 14th-ranked Texas A&M women’s tennis team won the doubles point against No. 7 Vanderbilt, but the defending national-champion Commodores won all six singles matches to defeat the Aggies, 6-1, today at the Currey Tennis Center.
It was Vanderbilt’s first win against A&M in a Southeastern Conference match, as the higher-ranked Commodores had been upset by the Aggies each of the last three years. Vanderbilt, which entered today’s match with an uncharacteristic two-match losing skid, improves to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play and also remains undefeated at home at 5-0.
A&M, which was riding a three-match win streak entering the match, falls to 11-5, 3-2 SEC.
The Aggies got off to a fast start as reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Domenica Gonzalez and senior Ines Deheza raced to a 6-0 victory over Fernanda Contreras and Ellie Yates at No. 3 doubles.
The remaining two doubles matches were tightly contested, with near comebacks coming up just short on both courts. Vandy’s Courtney Colton and Astra Sharma jumped out to a 4-1 lead and were up, 5-2, against 41st-ranked Rachel Pierson and Eva Paalma at No. 1 before the Aggie duo won three straight games to tie the match at 5-5. Vandy, however, would win the next two games to close out the match, 7-6.
The roles were reversed at Court 2, with A&M’s 56th-ranked tandem of Anna Mamalat and Rutuja Bhosalejumping out to a 4-1 advantage over Frances Altick and Sydney Campbell. The Vandy pair came back and eventually tied the score at 5-5, but A&M won the next two games to win the match, 7-6, and secure the doubles point for the Aggies.
In singles, Vanderbilt won the first set on four courts and went on to close out those matches in straight sets. The Commodores also came back in the other two matches in which they dropped the first set and registered three-set victories.
Campbell, ranked 24th in singles, evened the team score at 1-1 after defeating Bhosale, 6-2, 6-0 at the No. 2 line. Contreras followed with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Paalma at No. 6 to give the Commodores a lead they would not lose.
In a match-up or ranked opponents, No. 33 Sharma pulled away for a 6-4, 6-3 win against No. 40 Saska Gavrilovska at No. 1 to put Vandy up, 3-1.
Altick, No. 16 in the ITA singles rankings, improved to 10-0 in dual matches, including 4-0 in SEC matches only, as she posted a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Pierson at No. 3.
In the only three-setters, Deheza won her first set, 6-2 against Georgina Sellyn at No. 5, but Sellyn came back to win the next two frames, 6-3, 6-1, and Gonzalez, who entered the match riding a team-high eight-match win streak, fell to Colton, 5-7, 7-5, 1-0, to close out the match.
A&M now heads to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the 26th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday at the Boone Tennis Center. First serve is slated for 11 a.m. (CT).
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women’s tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women’s tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
#7 Vanderbilt 6, #14 Texas A&M 1
Curry Tennis Center
Nashville, Tennessee
March 17, 2016
Singles
1. #33 Astra Sharma (VU) def. #40 Saska Gavrilovska (A&M), 6-4, 6-3
2. #24 Sydney Campbell (VU) def. Rutuja Bhosale (A&M), 6-2, 6-0
3. #16 Frances Altick (VU) def. Rachel Pierson (A&M), 7-6, 6-2
4. Courtney Colton (VU) def. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M), 5-7, 7-5, 1-0
5. Georgina Sellyn (VU) def. Ines Deheza (A&M), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
6. Fernanda Contreras (VU) def. Eva Paalma (A&M), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles (A&M wins the point)
1. Colton/Sharma (VU) def. #41 Paalma/Pierson (A&M), 7-6
2. #56 Bhosale/Anna Mamalat (A&M) def. Altick/Campbell (VU), 7-6
3. Deheza/Gonzalez (A&M) def. Contreras/Ellie Yates (VU), 6-0
Order of finish
Singles: 2, 6, 1, 3, 5, 4
Doubles: 3, 1, 2
Team records:
Texas A&M: 11-5, 3-2 SEC
Vanderbilt: 9-4, 2-2
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics