KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee women’s tennis team had an exciting day at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional. Seniors Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso, ranked No. 17, advanced to the doubles final after a strong performance against Vanderbilt’s Pearce and Yamakita. They started shaky, tied at 4-4, but then won six straight games, taking the match 6-4, 6-0. They’ll play for the regional title tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET. A win would secure them a spot in the NCAA Individual Championships in November.
Meanwhile, Francesca Mattioli and Maeve Thornton also faced off against Vanderbilt but lost a tough three-set match. They won the first set in a tiebreak but fell behind in the second. They rallied to 5-4 but couldn’t finish, losing the set and the match.
In singles, Britez Risso battled Vanderbilt’s Mia Yamakita but fell in two sets, with the first set also going to a tiebreak. Yamakita took that 7-6 and followed up with a strong 6-1 win.
Looking ahead, the doubles final will see Aulia and Britez Risso take on Vanderbilt’s Mohr and Webster. Both teams are hungry for the NCAA bid that would come with a victory. On the singles side, Yamakita and her teammate Bridgette Stammel have already secured their NCAA spots, so they will skip the regional final.
The ITA Regional Championships are a significant event. They give players a chance to earn automatic entries to the NCAA championships. Each bracket includes at least 64 singles players and a minimum of 32 doubles teams. In total, 26 singles finalists and 13 doubles champions will qualify for the NCAA tournaments.
For more updates on the ITA Regional Championships, check their official site here. You can also find details about the Ohio Valley Regional here.
With the stakes high and the competition fierce, both the players and fans are excited to see how it unfolds.
