University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, February 8
Seattle
3 PM
University of Georgia
4
vs
2
North Carolina State
Photo by: Kristin M. Bradshaw
#5 Bulldogs Beat #14 NC State 4-2, Advance in ITA Indoors
February 08, 2019 | Women's Tennis
#5 Bulldogs Beat #14 NC State 4-2, Advance in ITA Indoors
SEATTLE, Wash. – Despite a schedule change, a delayed start, and a format change, the No. 5-ranked Georgia women's tennis team defeated No. 14 NC State, 4-2, Friday evening in the first round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
A Thursday night revised schedule moved Georgia's match up three hours, other tournament play delayed the Friday start, and then in an effort to speed the tournament up doubles was bypassed to go straight into singles.
"The great thing about college tennis is that it teaches maturity and versatility," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "Different things are going to happen throughout the course of the season whether it is road matches, home matches, neutral sites or tournaments. Things were out of our control, but I think we did a great job of regrouping. Our players responded great and it worked out well. We played a great team today that played great tennis, but I think our players really stepped it up at the right times to get it done."
Georgia improved to 4-0 on the season and will face No. 2 Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The times will be announced later tonight. The Commodores (4-1) defeated the host, Washington, 4-0 in the first round.
With only three courts open to start Friday's action, each team sent out its first three singles courts. Leading off for the Bulldogs was sophomore Katarina Jokic at No. 1, junior Marta Gonzalez at No. 2, and freshman Lourdes Carle to at No. 3.
The Wolfpack took 2-of-3 first sets and one of which turned into a straight-set win for a 1-0 NC State lead. All-ACC junior Adriana Reami defeated Lourdes Carle, 6-3, 6-3.
The next finish came a little later as courts one and two spilled into third sets. Despite taking the first set, Gonzalez faltered in the next two against Alana Smith to lose, 6-4, 3-6, 1-6, and Georgia was in a quick 0-2 hole.
Rebounding from her dropped first set and putting the Bulldogs on the scoreboard was Jokic, ranked No. 2 nationally in ITA singles. The Novi Grad, Bosnia product raced through the second set, 6-1, and then held on in the third to defeat No. 25-ranked Anna Rogers, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
"That was huge to get that first point for us," Wallace added. "It wasn't easy, 6-4 in the third set. It was a tough, hard-fought three-set match. She controlled the second set nicely, and then was in control most of the third. She really played some high level stuff at the end, so I was really pleased. It helped a lot."
By the time Jokic made it a 2-1 match, the bottom three courts were occupied. Sophomore Vivian Wolff started on court four, while junior Elena Christofi and freshman Meg Kowalski followed on courts five and six, respectively. This time Georgia took 2-of-3 first sets in search of a comeback.
Wolff, ranked No. 58, evened the score at 2-all with a straight-set victory over Liz Norman, 6-3, 6-4. The win upped her unblemished record to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in dual play.
Christofi, of Athens, Greece, toughed out the first set 7-5 despite being down 1-3. Tied at 5-all, Christofi broke NC State's serve and then held to go into the second set with the edge. The Bulldog gave Georgia the 3-2 lead with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Wolfpack senior Bianca Moldovan.
All eyes then shifted to court six, the last remaining court, where Kowalski just obtained a 2-1 edge over NC State senior Amanda Rebol in the third set. Kowalski, of Chicago, was the one that dropped her first set in the second group of matches to go on, but she responded strongly in the second, going up 4-0 and eventually pushing it to a third set. Now in the third up 2-1, Kowalski won three straight games on two breaks to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Although she then had her serve broken, she got it right back on NC State's serve to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and send the Bulldogs onward.
Like Wolff, Kowalski, ranked No. 84, also kept her undefeated overall record intact at 8-0 with a 4-0 dual mark.
"It's a weekend," Wallace said. "We know it's a weekend full of matches, so we have to get out there and be super ready. We will find out the schedule later. It will be another battle, but they all are here so we're looking forward to it."
Each team is guaranteed three matches and the National Indoors Final will be Monday, Feb. 11. Live scoring will be supplied by Tennis-Ticker ScoreBoard, http://www.gado.gs/1cu, while live streaming will be on UW's website, http://www.gado.gs/1d1. The event homepage came be found here: http://www.gado.gs/1cg.
For the latest on Georgia women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@UGAWomensTennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (UGA Women's Tennis).
A Thursday night revised schedule moved Georgia's match up three hours, other tournament play delayed the Friday start, and then in an effort to speed the tournament up doubles was bypassed to go straight into singles.
"The great thing about college tennis is that it teaches maturity and versatility," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "Different things are going to happen throughout the course of the season whether it is road matches, home matches, neutral sites or tournaments. Things were out of our control, but I think we did a great job of regrouping. Our players responded great and it worked out well. We played a great team today that played great tennis, but I think our players really stepped it up at the right times to get it done."
Georgia improved to 4-0 on the season and will face No. 2 Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The times will be announced later tonight. The Commodores (4-1) defeated the host, Washington, 4-0 in the first round.
With only three courts open to start Friday's action, each team sent out its first three singles courts. Leading off for the Bulldogs was sophomore Katarina Jokic at No. 1, junior Marta Gonzalez at No. 2, and freshman Lourdes Carle to at No. 3.
The Wolfpack took 2-of-3 first sets and one of which turned into a straight-set win for a 1-0 NC State lead. All-ACC junior Adriana Reami defeated Lourdes Carle, 6-3, 6-3.
The next finish came a little later as courts one and two spilled into third sets. Despite taking the first set, Gonzalez faltered in the next two against Alana Smith to lose, 6-4, 3-6, 1-6, and Georgia was in a quick 0-2 hole.
Rebounding from her dropped first set and putting the Bulldogs on the scoreboard was Jokic, ranked No. 2 nationally in ITA singles. The Novi Grad, Bosnia product raced through the second set, 6-1, and then held on in the third to defeat No. 25-ranked Anna Rogers, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
"That was huge to get that first point for us," Wallace added. "It wasn't easy, 6-4 in the third set. It was a tough, hard-fought three-set match. She controlled the second set nicely, and then was in control most of the third. She really played some high level stuff at the end, so I was really pleased. It helped a lot."
By the time Jokic made it a 2-1 match, the bottom three courts were occupied. Sophomore Vivian Wolff started on court four, while junior Elena Christofi and freshman Meg Kowalski followed on courts five and six, respectively. This time Georgia took 2-of-3 first sets in search of a comeback.
Wolff, ranked No. 58, evened the score at 2-all with a straight-set victory over Liz Norman, 6-3, 6-4. The win upped her unblemished record to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in dual play.
Christofi, of Athens, Greece, toughed out the first set 7-5 despite being down 1-3. Tied at 5-all, Christofi broke NC State's serve and then held to go into the second set with the edge. The Bulldog gave Georgia the 3-2 lead with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Wolfpack senior Bianca Moldovan.
All eyes then shifted to court six, the last remaining court, where Kowalski just obtained a 2-1 edge over NC State senior Amanda Rebol in the third set. Kowalski, of Chicago, was the one that dropped her first set in the second group of matches to go on, but she responded strongly in the second, going up 4-0 and eventually pushing it to a third set. Now in the third up 2-1, Kowalski won three straight games on two breaks to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Although she then had her serve broken, she got it right back on NC State's serve to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and send the Bulldogs onward.
Like Wolff, Kowalski, ranked No. 84, also kept her undefeated overall record intact at 8-0 with a 4-0 dual mark.
"It's a weekend," Wallace said. "We know it's a weekend full of matches, so we have to get out there and be super ready. We will find out the schedule later. It will be another battle, but they all are here so we're looking forward to it."
Each team is guaranteed three matches and the National Indoors Final will be Monday, Feb. 11. Live scoring will be supplied by Tennis-Ticker ScoreBoard, http://www.gado.gs/1cu, while live streaming will be on UW's website, http://www.gado.gs/1d1. The event homepage came be found here: http://www.gado.gs/1cg.
For the latest on Georgia women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@UGAWomensTennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (UGA Women's Tennis).
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Georgia Women's Tennis NCAAs Semifinals vs Texas A&M Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, May 17
Georgia Women's Tennis NCAAs Quarterfinals vs NC State Postgame Press Conference
Friday, May 15
Georgia Women's Tennis NCAA Super Regionals vs UCLA Recap
Friday, May 08
Georgia Women's Tennis NCAA Second Round vs. Charlotte Recap
Sunday, May 03