University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, March 23
Lexington, KY
6 p.m.
University of Georgia
at
Kentucky
Mid-Season Road Tests Forthcoming for No. 9 Bulldogs
March 22, 2018 | Women's Tennis
Mid-Season Road Tests Forthcoming for No. 9 Bulldogs
UGA/UK Live Stats & Video: http://gado.gs/8qx
UGA/VU Live Stats & Video: http://gado.gs/8qw
Match Notes Attached*
ATHENS, Ga. – Back on the road, the ninth-ranked Georgia women's tennis team enters the halfway mark of the Southeastern Conference season with matches against No. 20 Kentucky in Lexington, Friday at 6 p.m., before capping the weekend versus third-ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville, Sunday at 2 p.m.
After a three-match conference home stand in which Georgia went 2-1, the Bulldogs (9-3, 4-1 SEC) aim to separate from the other four teams that have one conference loss and stay within reach of the SEC leader South Carolina who just handed Georgia its sole SEC loss of the season.
Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace knows what lies ahead, "We've laid out a model of success and now it is important for the team to buy-in, get together and say 'what do we want our season to ultimately look like', because great things are ahead of us."
The matchups against the Wildcats (11-5, 3-3 SEC) and the Commodores (12-3, 5-1 SEC) represent Georgia's seventh and eighth contest against opponents ranked in ITA's top-25. Going 3-3 in those previous matchups, the Bulldogs have been well tested as their two losses came from currently ranked top-5 squads and this past Sunday's loss to the No. 10 Gamecocks.
"All the huge opportunities in everything we have to compete for are right there in front of us," Wallace added. "Now it is a matter of us going out there and doing it on match day. We have shown we can be a super high-level tennis team, but we have also shown that we can get beat too and not play at the level that is required. So it is going to be fun to see what our identity ultimately is going to be this year when it comes down to the end."
For the latest on Georgia women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@UGAWomensTennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (UGA Women's Tennis).
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Inside the Series'
Kentucky
Overall | Georgia leads, 35-10
First Meeting | 1980
Last UK win | 2006
Streak | UGA 12 win in a row
Last Match | After UK doubles point, a Gould-Brinson-Christofi-Shaffer finish gave UGA 4-1 win
Vanderbilt
Overall | Georgia leads, 32-12
First Meeting | 1983
Last VU win | 2017
Streak | VU 1 win in a row
Last Match | Despite a UGA doubles point, Vandy beat UGA 4-2 on SEC opening weekend
Wildcat Scout
Kentucky welcomes a home stand after spending the last two weekends on the road, going 2-2. Most recently, the Wildcats lost to both Mississippi affiliate SEC schools.
Three upperclassmen lead the Wildcats in the first three singles courts, while two sophomores and a freshman follow, respectively. Justina Mikulskyte, UK's sole ranked singles player at No. 100, sports a 9-4 dual record between courts one and two. Senior Mami Adachi contains a 12-1 dual record between courts three and four.
In doubles, Kentucky has earned the point in two of its six SEC matches. Adachi and senior Emily Fanning, ranked No. 41, play court one and have a 10-5 dual record (4-2 SEC). The duo is 3-1 versus ranked opponents in duals.
Commodore Scout
At No. 3, Vanderbilt represents the highest-ranked Southeastern Conference affiliate in the ITA Team Rankings. Two of the Commodores' three losses are to currently ranked top-5 teams (#2 Pepperdine, #5 Northwestern), while the other loss came last weekend at Mississippi State (#24).
The defending SEC regular season and tournament champions are led by the reigning conference player of the year Astra Sharma who is ranked 14th in singles and 21st in doubles with junior Fernanda Contreras. In singles, Contreras leads the pack with a No. 5 ranking while playing on court.
Georgia Dominating Doubles
Georgia has dropped only one doubles point among its 12 dual matches. In addition, the Bulldogs have lost just four individual dual doubles matches (23-4 with nine unfinished). Georgia is the only Southeastern Conference affiliate that has two doubles teams ranked in ITA's top-20. Nationally, UCLA and UNC join the Bulldogs in this distinction.
UGA/VU Live Stats & Video: http://gado.gs/8qw
Match Notes Attached*
ATHENS, Ga. – Back on the road, the ninth-ranked Georgia women's tennis team enters the halfway mark of the Southeastern Conference season with matches against No. 20 Kentucky in Lexington, Friday at 6 p.m., before capping the weekend versus third-ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville, Sunday at 2 p.m.
After a three-match conference home stand in which Georgia went 2-1, the Bulldogs (9-3, 4-1 SEC) aim to separate from the other four teams that have one conference loss and stay within reach of the SEC leader South Carolina who just handed Georgia its sole SEC loss of the season.
Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace knows what lies ahead, "We've laid out a model of success and now it is important for the team to buy-in, get together and say 'what do we want our season to ultimately look like', because great things are ahead of us."
The matchups against the Wildcats (11-5, 3-3 SEC) and the Commodores (12-3, 5-1 SEC) represent Georgia's seventh and eighth contest against opponents ranked in ITA's top-25. Going 3-3 in those previous matchups, the Bulldogs have been well tested as their two losses came from currently ranked top-5 squads and this past Sunday's loss to the No. 10 Gamecocks.
"All the huge opportunities in everything we have to compete for are right there in front of us," Wallace added. "Now it is a matter of us going out there and doing it on match day. We have shown we can be a super high-level tennis team, but we have also shown that we can get beat too and not play at the level that is required. So it is going to be fun to see what our identity ultimately is going to be this year when it comes down to the end."
For the latest on Georgia women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@UGAWomensTennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (UGA Women's Tennis).
##
Inside the Series'
Kentucky
Overall | Georgia leads, 35-10
First Meeting | 1980
Last UK win | 2006
Streak | UGA 12 win in a row
Last Match | After UK doubles point, a Gould-Brinson-Christofi-Shaffer finish gave UGA 4-1 win
Vanderbilt
Overall | Georgia leads, 32-12
First Meeting | 1983
Last VU win | 2017
Streak | VU 1 win in a row
Last Match | Despite a UGA doubles point, Vandy beat UGA 4-2 on SEC opening weekend
Wildcat Scout
Kentucky welcomes a home stand after spending the last two weekends on the road, going 2-2. Most recently, the Wildcats lost to both Mississippi affiliate SEC schools.
Three upperclassmen lead the Wildcats in the first three singles courts, while two sophomores and a freshman follow, respectively. Justina Mikulskyte, UK's sole ranked singles player at No. 100, sports a 9-4 dual record between courts one and two. Senior Mami Adachi contains a 12-1 dual record between courts three and four.
In doubles, Kentucky has earned the point in two of its six SEC matches. Adachi and senior Emily Fanning, ranked No. 41, play court one and have a 10-5 dual record (4-2 SEC). The duo is 3-1 versus ranked opponents in duals.
Commodore Scout
At No. 3, Vanderbilt represents the highest-ranked Southeastern Conference affiliate in the ITA Team Rankings. Two of the Commodores' three losses are to currently ranked top-5 teams (#2 Pepperdine, #5 Northwestern), while the other loss came last weekend at Mississippi State (#24).
The defending SEC regular season and tournament champions are led by the reigning conference player of the year Astra Sharma who is ranked 14th in singles and 21st in doubles with junior Fernanda Contreras. In singles, Contreras leads the pack with a No. 5 ranking while playing on court.
Georgia Dominating Doubles
Georgia has dropped only one doubles point among its 12 dual matches. In addition, the Bulldogs have lost just four individual dual doubles matches (23-4 with nine unfinished). Georgia is the only Southeastern Conference affiliate that has two doubles teams ranked in ITA's top-20. Nationally, UCLA and UNC join the Bulldogs in this distinction.
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