Kentucky stays unbeaten with doubleheader wins over Middle Tennessee, Marshall

Kentuckys+womens+tennis+team+huddles+before+its+match+with+Memphis.IMAGE+OBTAINED+FROM+UK+ATHLETICS.+PHOTO+BY+GRANT+LEE

Kentucky’s women’s tennis team huddles before its match with Memphis.IMAGE OBTAINED FROM UK ATHLETICS. PHOTO BY GRANT LEE

Hunter Shelton

The UK women’s tennis team was back in action Thursday afternoon with their second doubleheader of the week, inside the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. 

Looking to build on their terrific 4-0 start to the season, the Wildcats played host to Middle Tennessee State followed by Marshall.  

The Cats continued their great form in match one against the Bule Raiders, sweeping them 7-0 to start off the day. 

Akvilė Paražinskaitė and Fiona Arrese provided the first doubles win for UK, defeating Zani Barnard and Muskan Gupta 6-0.  

Not too far behind, Lesedi Jacobs and Salsa Aher were victorious over Noelle Mauro and Lilly-Sophie Schmidt 6-2, claiming the doubles point for Kentucky.  

Paražinskaitė, a graduate student out of Vilnius, Lithuania, would quickly build on UK’s lead. She was the first to claim victory in singles play, defeating Lee Barnard 6-1, 6-1. 

Carlota Molina would soon make it 3-0 for the Cats, taking down Lidia Burrows 6-3, 6-0. 

Things weren’t all easy for UK in match one however, as three Wildcats were taken to a third set by the Blue Raiders.  

Arrese dropped her second set to Z. Barnard, but ultimately regrouped and claimed the win 6-3, 4-6, 6-0. 

Carla Girbau and Maialen Morante both had to rally to give UK the sweep. Each Spaniard lost the first set of their match, but fought back and snagged sets two and three: Girbau pulled out the victory 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, while Morante won 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5). 

Coming into match two of the doubleheader against Marshall, UK had only given up one point this year, something the Thundering Herd looked to change in their season debut.  

Coming right back where they left off in the morning session, Paražinskaitė and Arrese trounced Marshall’s Jutte Van Hansewyck and Liz Stefancic 6-1, giving UK an early edge in doubles.  

Just like match one, Jacobs and Aher secured the doubles point for the Cats, beating Madi Ballow and Madison Riley 6-2. Kentucky has still yet to drop a doubles point this season.  

Continuing her fantastic form from match one, Molina dispatched of Daniela Dankanych 6-3, 6-0. Molina won all four of her singles sets today by a combined score of 24-6. 

Making things a bit easier this go-round, Girbau only needed two sets to defeat Van Hansewyck 6-3, 6-0. She put UK up 3-0 in the match, one point away from victory.  

They wouldn’t wait long for that fourth point, as Paražinskaitė prevailed on court one, overcoming a first-set loss. Keeping her perfect singles record alive, she outlasted the Herd’s Anna Smith 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, to give the Cats the win.  

Marshall would respond as the junior Ballow won a three-set match against Jacobs, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The loss was the first in singles this year for Kentucky’s redshirt senior.  

Arrese would respond for UK, claiming a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Gabreille Clairotte, before Marshall would earn another point as Riled bested Aher 7-5, 6-3, finishing the match at 5-2 in favor of Kentucky.  

The doubleheader sweep improves UK’s record to 6-0, a fantastic start to what could prove to be a promising season for the Wildcats.  

Kentucky will return to action this weekend, as they take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The match is Saturday at 2:00 p.m E.T. inside the Boone Tennis Complex