Lady Vols make progress in ITA sectional

The Tennessee women’s tennis team opened play on day two of the ITA South Sectional on Friday.

One Lady Vol pair picked up a win in the consolation round of the doubles bracket. Saray Y-Piipari and Lisa Kamigata dominated back-to-back sets against the Georgia Tech duo of Eleni Karantali and Given Roach. Tennessee’s pair showed no signs of struggle as they picked up a 6-2 win in the first set, followed by a dominant 6-1 decision in the second  to claim the first victory of the day for the Lady Vols. 

Tennessee’s Rinon Okuwaki and Maeve Thornton fought hard, but dropped their decision, 6-3, 6-0, to Vanderbilt’s Mia Yamakita and Erin Pearce.

“We learned a lot about Maeve and Rinon,” Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda said. “As doubles team and as doubles players, independent of one another. That was great for us today.”

In singles play, Francesca Mattioli fell in three sets, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (5), to Indiana’s Hiilani Williams. Mattioli fended off multiple match points at 4-5 and 5-6 in the third frame but couldn’t manage a final effort in the tiebreak game.Kamigata fell in three sets, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4, to Georgia’s Patricija Paukstye.

Like Mattioli, Kamigata managed a first set victory in tiebreak fashion, but couldn’t hang on in a tight third set.

“This fall, we’ve seen that Lisa’s really freaking good,” Ojeda said of her freshman talent. “If we can help her get to a place where her legs still feel explosive three hours into a tennis match, she’s going to be tough to beat.

“She and Aly [Shannon] both. I put those two together in terms of their ability as freshmen. There are traits that you want to have out there when you have six players competing, and I can tell you right now, I don’t know where they’re getting put on it, but I can tell you they’re in the lineup. Those two are just… They have this competitive spirit that is going to thrive in the team setting.”

Kamigata and Yli-Piipari will return to play in the consolation bracket semifinal Saturday. Tennessee’s doubles pairs of Sarah Mildren/Alyson Shannon and Mattioli/Stefani Webb will face each other in the consolation bracket semifinal, as each of those teams advanced past today’s rounds due to injury walkovers.

ITA South Sectional Results 

Kamigata/Yli-Piipari (UT) def. Karantali/Roach (GT) – 6-2, 6-1 Pearce/Yamakita (Vandy) def. Okuwaki/Thornton (UT) – 6-3, 6-0 Hiilani Williams (Indiana) def. Francesca Mattioli (UT) – 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (5) Patricija Paukstye (UGA) def. Lisa Kamigata – 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4.