Kentucky’s women’s tennis team hosted No. 16 Baylor on Sunday after coming off a loss to No. 22 Ohio State last Wednesday. Baylor, also coming off a loss, fought for every point, but in the end, the Cats came out on top, 4-1.

In doubles play, Kentucky’s team of seniors, Mami Adachi and Emily Fanning, brought victory for the Cats after winning 6-3. Lesedi Jacobs and Brianna Tulloch got the Cats on the board first with a 6-3 victory over their opponent.

The Cats finished doubles play with one point while Baylor had zero.

For singles play, Fanning finished off Baylor’s Kris Sorkolet in two sets, with scores of 6-2, 6-1. Another hard-earned win for Kentucky was Justina Mikulskyte’s win over Baylor’s nationally ranked Theresa Van Zyl, which ended in a score of 6-3, 6-1. 

Baylor’s only point was from sophomore Camilla Abbate’s win against Kentucky’s Diana Tkachenko. The Cats finished the match after Adachi added the final point in an exciting 6-4, 7-5 win.

Head Coach Carlos Drada said after the match that the main goal this season is to ensure that each player is giving her best performance on a consistent basis. The team showed great consistency during this match against Baylor, which should help as the Cats head deeper into the season. 

Drada also said that this season’s team is a more mature team than those in the past, and the players are taking ownership of the program.

“We are looking to grow more resilient. What I’m learning now is that you can win any match and you can lose any match,” Drada said. “The team is learning that, too, and they realize that their energy matters every day of competition.”

The win over Baylor is a big one as this is the first time the Cats have been victorious in their all-time series against Baylor. Up next for the Cats is a match against Columbia on Feb. 17