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A rainy Thursday in Winston-Salem forced six of the eight matches indoors with three matches being sent 90 miles away in Chapel Hill. The three matches played indoors at Wake Forest were all fairly lopsided with Vanderbilt, Duke, and Stanford cruising to victories while the three matches in Chapel Hill had more substance with Texas Tech, Georgia, and Florida State coming out on top. The rain had finally cleared out by late evening so the final two matches were played outdoors at Wake Forest. In those two night matches, both of the teams that won avenged regular season losses with Georgia Tech gutting out a 4-3 win over Pepperdine while UCLA defeated Ole Miss 4-1. 

Stanford dropped the doubles point for just the fourth time this season but the No. 15 seed rallied in singles and took out top-ranked and second-seeded North Carolina 4-1. After UNC closed out the doubles point with a 7-5 win at No. 3, Stanford claimed four first sets in singles and they turned all four of those into straight set wins. 

Stanford junior Melissa Lord was the first to finish with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2 and then sophomore Emma Higuichi extended her winning streak to 15 with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 6. Sophomore Emily Arbuthnott won her sixth match in a row and made it 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 4 and freshman Janice Shin provided the clincher at No. 5 with a 6-3, 6-2 win. 

 

 

Post-Match Quotes:

Stanford Head Coach Lele Forood
Q: After losing the doubles point, did you expect to rebound so quickly in singles?
A: We like to think weve got a lot of points once we get to the singles, but we were disappointed after the doubles. It was pretty close and it went with a
weird situation on match point that lost it for us. We had a little anger, a little frustration and I think we channeled it pretty well because we came out well
in the singles.

Q: How important was it to come out fast and put some pressure on North Carolina?
A: Its always important to put the pressure on in singles early and not let a team thats already up 1-0 get momentum.

Q: This was Janice Shins first go round yet she earned the clinching point against Michigan and again today against North Carolina..
A: Shes been a star. Just incredibly clutch, shes been the clincher now a few times in this championship and shes getting the hang of it. But everybody
played awesome today.

Freshman Janice Shin
Q: This is your first NCAA Tournament, yet you have earned the clinching point in each of the last two matches.
A: I actually thought Emily (Arbuthnott) clinched, but I miscounted so I was a little confused as to why I was still playing. I just stayed focused, but Im
really excited and happy we got it done. Looking forward to Saturday.

Q: How important was it to put pressure on North Carolina early, especially after losing a hard doubles match?
A: We did what we always do and put pressure on them. Doubles was really tough, we had some chances but we let them slip away. We stayed really
focused in the singles, Emma came back and Mel (Melissa Lord) crushed it so we all were really focused to get those singles points on the board.

North Carolina Head Coach Brian Kalbas
Q: Thoughts on the loss today?
A: The finality of a loss is always tough, but I told the team how proud I was. We did some things this year, we never won a national title and an ACC title
in the same year. I give Stanford a lot of credit for losing the doubles point and coming back in singles. They really played well, seemed like every big play
and opportunity went their way. We didnt so much lose rather, they just grabbed the win. Theyve won a lot of championships and are a very confident
team. Down the stretch they were believers. (Im) proud of our team and proud of our season

Q: What did you see specially see from Marika Akkerman
A: (I) saw how well she played today in doubles and how much she has grown. Last year was tough for her, with her injury. For her to go out winning her
last match and win the doubles point for us, is gigantic. Give them a lot of credit for being great senior leaders and ambassadors for our program.

Q: How do you recapture a season like this?
A: We dont have any seniors in any of our top six singles, so everybody in our top six singles will be back. So hopefully this loss can motivate these girls
this summer and next fall and be able to come back really energized. Our program has done great things, we still are a top two or three seed in the last
few NCAA tournaments. Having to play Stanford the last two years just hasnt gone our way.

#15 [15] Stanford 4, #1 [2] North Carolina 1 
Head Coaches: Brian Kalbas (North Carolina) and Lele Forood (Stanford)
Doubles competition
1. #3 Arbuthnott/Gordon (STAN) def. #2 Aney/Graham (UNC) 6-4
2. #33 Daavettila/Sanford (UNC) def. #84 Lampl/Yee (STAN) 6-3
3. Marika Akkerman/Jones (UNC) def. Lord/Shin (STAN) 7-5
Singles competition
1. #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) vs. #15 Michaela Gordon (STAN) 7-6 (2), 1-2
2. #40 Melissa Lord (STAN) def. #26 Alle Sanford (UNC) 6-4, 6-1
3. #46 Sara Daavettila (UNC) vs. #93 Caroline Lampl (STAN) 6-4, 5-2
4. #43 Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) def. #95 Alexa Graham (UNC) 6-3, 6-1
5. #96 Janice Shin (STAN) def. #85 Jessie Aney (UNC) 6-3, 6-2
6. #102 Emma Higuchi (STAN) def. #119 Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) 6-1, 6-4
Match Notes
Stanford 21-3; National ranking #15
North Carolina 28-4; National ranking #1
Doubles: (2,1,3) Singles (2,6,4,5)
Match Played Indoors at Wake Forest

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Georgia Tech advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2008 with a tough 4-3 win over No. 13 Pepperdine. The Waves took the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 but GT bounced back in singles with four first sets. GT sophomore Nami Otsuka tied the match at 1-1 after snapping Laura Gulbe’s 16-match winning streak in a big way with a 6-1, 6-1 rout at No 5 singles. Gulbe had won 34 of her last 35 sets coming into the match while only yielding more than 3 games in 5 of those 35 sets. 

Pepperdine senior Mayar Sherif extended her winning streak to 14 with a straight set win at No. 3 but GT senior Paige Hourigan tied the match at 2-2 after coming all the way back from a 4-6, 1-5 deficit to defeat Luisa Stefani 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. 

GT freshman Ida Jarlskog gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the night after she extended her winning streak to 11 with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 win over Evgeniya Levashova at No. 4 singles. Jarlskog fought off a match point to hold for 5-5 in the third and then she broke Levashova to go in front 6-5. Levashova was then given a game penalty, for throwing her racket and a saying an obscenity, to end the match. The loss snapped Levashova’s 16-match winning streak during and it was the first time since February 11th that she had dropped a set. 

Pepperdine sophomore Ashley Lahey tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 win at No. 2 but GT freshman Victoria Flores fought off cramps late in the third set to clinch the victory with a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 win over Dzina Milovanovic at No. 6.  

 

 

 

Post-Match Quotes:

Georgia Tech head coach Rodney Harmon
On the key to beating Pepperdine…First of all, Pepperdine has a great team. When they beat us at Team Indoors, it was a really tough match. They won all the really key
matches. Obviously they have five ranked players in singles in their lineup so you know its going to be really tough. The good thing for us
is weve played teams like that, weve played (North) Carolina and Duke that have a lot of ranked players. We were prepared to play, but it
was a battle. Theyre really, really good and theyre well-coached.

On what made the difference down the stretch…It just came down to tough matches at the finish line. Paige [Hourigan] came back at No. 1 and that was huge for us. Ida (Jarlskog) was
able to gut out a really tough match at No. 4 because the girl she played is really good, she was the No. 10 or 11 junior in the world and
just a great player. Ida just fought and fought and fought. [Victoria Flores] came through and as you could see it was quite dramatic at the
finish line so were really happy for her.

On the excitement of advancing…It was a great match. Obviously when you come to NCAAs every team is really good. You know every match is going to be a war, and
thats what it takes. Were really happy that we were able to play such a great team and be able to win.

Georgia Tech freshman Victoria Flores, #6 singles
On what helped her late rally…I was just thinking, make every ball and get to every ball. It doesnt matter how I hit it, just get it in the court and youll at least have a
chance. I had to give myself and the team a chance, thats all.

On the excitement level of advancing to the next round…I cant believe were in the Elite Eight, for the first time since they won in 2007. Last year they lost in the round of 16, so it was clutch to
pull through with my team. Especially Ida [Jarlskog], down 5-4 in the third and match point. Im just so happy, I love my team. I play for
them – all my points were for them, for my school, for my coaches. 

Pepperdine head coach Per Nilsson
On the difference in the match…The difference is they were way tougher mentally than us and physically tougher. We had chances to close out two matches, but they
were just stronger mentally and it showed. Its disappointing because it felt like we could hang with them toe-to-toe. When it comes down
to getting in your own way, youre disappointed.

On how tight the games were…There were five really close matches that could have gone either way. They won the important points – give them a lot of credit. I hope
they do well in the next round.

#4 Georgia Tech 4, #12 Pepperdine 3
May 17, 2018 at Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #14 Hourigan, Paige (GTU) def. #27 Stefani, Luisa (PEP) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
2. #17 Lahey, Ashley (PEP) def. #60 Jones, Kenya (GTU) 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
3. #22 Sherif, Mayar (PEP) def. Renaud, Johnnise (GTU) 6-4, 6-4
4. #125 Jarlskog, Ida (GTU) def. #54 Levashova, Evgeniya (PEP) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
5. Otsuka, Nami (GTU) def. #91 Gulbe, Laura (PEP) 6-1, 6-1
6. Flores, Viktoria (GTU) def. Milovanovic, Dzina (PEP) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #13 Sherif, Mayar/Stefani, Luisa (PEP) def. #1 Hourigan, Paige/Jones, Kenya (GTU) 6-3
2. #76 Levashova, Evgeniya/Milovanovic, Dzina (PEP) def. #48 Jarlskog, Ida/Flores, Viktoria (GTU) 7-5
3. Otsuka, Nami/Renaud, Johnnise (GTU) vs. Lahey, Ashley/Lekaj, Adrijana (PEP) 6-5, unfinished
Match Notes
Pepperdine University 24-3; National ranking #12
Georgia Tech 24-5; National ranking #4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,3,1,4,2,6)
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 – Match Played Outdoors at Wake Forest

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Florida State advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history with a come from behind 4-3 win over AAC Champion Tulsa in a match that was played indoors at North Carolina. The Golden Hurricane jumped out to the early 1-0 lead after taking the doubles point for the 24th time in 29 matches but the Seminoles fought back in singles and took four opening sets. 

FSU freshman Petra Hule tied the match at 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2 and then sophomore Carla Touly put the Noles ahead 2-1 with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 1. 

A pair of freshman would put Tulsa ahead 3-2 with Tamara Kupkova winning 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 3 while Shura Poppe ran her winning streak to 8 with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6. 

FSU senior Gabriella Castaneda tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 win at No. 4 and junior Ariana Rahmanparast clinched with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win at No. 6

 

Post-Match Quotes:

FSU Head Coach Jennifer Hyde
I just continue to be incredibly proud of these girls. They fight, they stay, they hang around and are just tough competitors. It was a tough
road to get back here to the quarterfinals and a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into it. These kids have been amazing and I am glad they
get to play again on Saturday.

FSU Gabriella Castaneda, Sr. #4 singles – I believed in everyone the whole match, I couldnt see the scoreboard on the other side, but I could feel the energy and hear the excitement and the cheering and knew we were going to win.

FSU Ariana Rahmanparast, Jr, #5 singles – It is an indescribable feeling to make an Elite Eight. It is a dream come true to get this win, especially to be the one to get the final point.

Tulsa Head Coach Dean Orford
You have to give Florida State a lot of credit for fighting back the way they did after losing the doubles point and being down 3-2. They
never went away and it was a great win on their part. We thought we had a team that could go deep here, but we came up a little short.
When we do have time to reflect on the season, it was a solid season to be conference champions and make the Sweet 16.

#21 Florida State 4, #24 Tulsa 3
Head Coaches: Dean Orford (Tulsa) and Jennifer Hyde (Florida State)
Doubles competition
1. Ksenia Laskutova/Martha Matoula (TU) def. #56 Carla Touly/Ariana Rahmanparast (FSU) 7-5
2. Vera Ploner/Shura Poppe (TU) def. Julia Mikulski/Andrea Garcia (FSU) 6-1
3. Gabriella Castaneda/Petra Hule (FSU) def. Rouxanne Janse van Rensburg/Tamara Kupkova (TU) 6-4
Singles competition
1. #19 Carla Touly (FSU) def. #80 Ksenia Laskutova (TU) 6-1, 6-2
2. #122 Petra Hule (FSU) def. #112 Martina Okalova (TU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Tamara Kupkova (TU) def. Nandini Das (FSU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Gabriella Castaneda (FSU) def. Martha Matoula (TU) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
5. Ariana Rahmanparast (FSU) def. Vera Ploner (TU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
6. Shura Poppe (TU) def. Andrea Garcia (FSU) 6-4, 6-2
Match Notes
Florida State 20-12; National ranking #21
Tulsa 23-6; National ranking #24
Doubles: (2,3,1) Singles (2,1,3,6,4,5)
Match Played Indoors at North Carolina

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Duke is back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014 after starting off the day with a 4-0 win over No. 14 Northwestern. Northwestern had won the doubles point in 16 consecutive matches but Duke snapped that streak with 6-4 wins at No. 1 and No. 3. The Blue Devils claimed all six first sets in singles and sophomore Meible Chi, junior Kaitlyn McCarthy, and freshman Hannah Zhao all closed out their matches in straight with Zhao clinching at No. 6.

 

 

Duke post-match interviews – Jamie Ashworth, Meible ChiHannah Zhao

 

Post-Match Quotes

Duke Head Coach Jamie Ashworth
Q: Coach obviously an impressive win today, this has got to be nice to start the tournament out this way.
A: It was, especially with the level of our doubles I thought. We havent been playing great doubles the last couple of weeks and I thought that our doubles
was so high energy that it kind of carried us through. I was really proud of our girls with that and what they put into the doubles especially.
Q: You got off to such a quick jump in the singles as well, how does it feel as a coach to know you got a pretty comfortable lead after winning the
doubles?
A: You look up at the scoreboard but then you catch yourself, because you start thinking of other things for sure, but after the doubles the one thing that
I stressed to them was we havent accomplished anything. We have to go out and weve got to play singles like the doubles and our goal is to win six
single matches and we have to fight that way. And they responded really well.

Freshman Hannah Zhao
Q: You guys got off to such a quick start with doubles and the singles, you turned out to be the deciding match, how was that for you?
A: It was so exciting and it gives me so much confidence. I know every opponent is so good and everyone worked so hard to get to this moment. So getting
through that first match and pulling through such a tough two sets gave me a huge confidence boost.
Q: Your last couple of games were kind of crazy, and went back and forth. It was kind of like a rollercoaster ride almost.
A: Yeah I just tried to keep my focus, not thinking about how this was the clinching match. I just tried to focus on myself and my own game, and just
believed that I could do it.
Q: The match point was a long point, did you get kind of winded or did you feel like you just had to win the point?
A: I just fought for every shot that I could, I knew that if I kept strong and fought for every point it would come with good results.

Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard
Q: Your team had a terrific season this year going 23-6, what are some the biggest highlights of the season?
A: I thought our seniors did an outstanding job all year. They really led the way, very determined to win a Big 10 championship, very determined to get us
back in the hunt for a national championship, and Im really proud of them, their leadership, and what they accomplished this season to help us get there.
Q: What are some positive things for the program moving forward after the loss today?
A: We have a win over the number one seed of this tournament and thats an amazing win for our program and it gave us the confidence that we can play
with anyone. And another win over No. 4 Georgia Tech, so we proved this season we could play with the very best but theres a lot of depth to college
tennis right now. So many great teams. (I) congratulate Duke, I thought they played a great match today. (We had) a great season just a disappointing
lost today.

#3 Duke 4, #14 Northwestern 0
Head Coaches: Jamie Ashworth (Duke) and Claire Pollard (Northwestern)
Singles competition
1. #6 Samantha Harris (DUKE) vs. #38 Erin Larner (NORTHWESTERN) 6-3, 2-6, 2-1, unf.
2. #55 Meible Chi (DUKE) def. #117 Lee Or (NORTHWESTERN) 6-1, 6-4
3. #116 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DUKE) vs. #78 Maddie Lipp (NORTHWESTERN) 6-3, 3-6, unf.
4. #28 Kelly Chen (DUKE) vs. Julie Byrne (NORTHWESTERN) 7-5, 3-5, unf.
5. #84 Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE) def. Alex Chatt (NORTHWESTERN) 6-3, 6-0
6. Hannah Zhao (DUKE) def. Rheeya Doshi (NORTHWESTERN) 6-4, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #9 Kaitlyn McCarthy/Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE) def. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NORTHWESTERN) 6-4
2. #6 Kelly Chen/Samantha Harris (DUKE) vs. #37 Lee Or/Alex Chatt (NORTHWESTERN) 5-5, unf.
3. Meible Chi/Hannah Zhao (DUKE) def. Rheeya Doshi/Julie Byrne (NORTHWESTERN) 6-4
Match Notes
Duke 26-3; National ranking #3
Northwestern 23-6; National ranking #14
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5,2,6)
Match Played Indoors at Wake Forest 

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Texas had already defeated Big XII rival Texas Tech twice during the regular season but they couldn’t do it for at third time as the Lady Raiders snapped the Longhorns 19-match winning streak with a 4-1 win in a match that was played indoors in Chapel Hill. 

Texas Tech jumped out to the early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point for the 22nd time in 29 matches with a 6-1 win at No. 2 and a 6-3 win at No. 3. The Lady Raiders kept the pressure on the Horns in singles and took four opening sets. TT senior Katelyn Jackson made it 2-0 with a quick 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 6 but Texas sophomore Petra Granic would make it 2-1 after winning 6-1, 6-4 at No. 3. 

TT senior Gabriela Talaba upset the ITA No. 1 Bianca Turati 6-4, 6-2 to make it 3-1. Turati entered the match riding a 10-match winning streak and had only lost once all spring.

It looked like TT junior Felicity Maltby would get the clinch against Anna Turati at No. 2 but Turati came back from 2-6, 3-5 down to force a third set. The other two matches were also into third sets so it was still anybody’s game. 

TT’s Sarah Dvorak went up a break at 2-1 in the third against Marta Perez-Mur and the senior held serve the rest of the way to close out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win to put the Lady Raiders back in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. 

 

Post-Match Quotes

Texas Tech Head Coach Todd Petty 
Q: On todays win…
A: Im super excited for the girls. To lose two heartbreakers to this team and to really lay it on the line with a lot of ups and downs today, they were all
superstars. Were all very proud of them.

Texas Techs Sarah Dvorak, Senior, No. 5 singles
Q: On todays win…
A: Its so emotional for me. After I won and all of the girls started running at me and they were crying. Its been a long season and we lost to Texas twice,
closely both times. Every time we were right there and getting this third time, giving us this chance again, really drove us, especially the chance to get to
the Elite Eight. This is the biggest championships so its driving us even more.

Texas Head Head Coach Howard Joffe
Q: On todays loss…
A: This is the third time weve faced off against Texas Tech and they are a team that is laden with seniors and very good players. Its always going to
be tough to beat them three times in a row. Add to that with the logistics that were pretty demanding with travel and indoors, outdoors and so forth.
Ultimately, we were outplayed today. I have to give Texas Tech a lot of credit. It is disappointing for our team but it will always be a dangerous match with
so many experienced players on Texas Techs team.”

#11 [11] TEXAS TECH (23-6) def. #5 [6] TEXAS (24-5)
Head Coaches: Howard Joffe (Texas) and Todd Petty (Texas Tech)
Singles competition
1. #21 Gabriela Talaba (TEXAS TECH) def. #1 Bianca Turati (TEXAS) 6-4, 6-2
2. #30 Anna Turati (TEXAS) vs. #58 Felicity Maltby (TEXAS TECH) 2-6, 7-5, 3-2, unf.
3. #64 Petra Granic (TEXAS) def. Alex Valenstein (TEXAS TECH) 6-1, 6-4
4. Bojana Markovic (TEXAS) vs. #106 Sabrina Federici (TEXAS TECH) 7-6 (2), 3-6, 3-2, unf.
5. Sarah Dvorak (TEXAS TECH) def. Marta Perez-Mur (TEXAS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
6. #120 Katelyn Jackson (TEXAS TECH) def. Dani Wagland (TEXAS) 6-0, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #55 Petra Granic/Bojana Markovic (TEXAS) vs. #28 Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (TEXAS TECH) 5-4, unf.
2. Felicity Maltby/Gabriela Talaba (TEXAS TECH) def. Marta Perez-Mur/Dani Wagland (TEXAS) 6-1
3. Alex Valenstein/Katelyn Jackson (TEXAS TECH) def. Bianca Turati/Anna Turati (TEXAS) 6-3
Match Notes
Texas Tech 23-6; National ranking #11
Texas 24-5; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles: (2,3) Singles (6,3,1,5)
Match Played Indoors at North Carolina

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The tournament’s top seed Vanderbilt dropped an anchor on Miami and cruised to a 4-0 win in a match played indoors at Wake Forest. The Commodores took the doubles point for the 21st time in 28 matches with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 and then they took all six first sets in singles. 

VU freshman Amanda Meyer was off the court first with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 4 and sophomore Christina Rosca made it 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3. VU senior Astra Sharma clinched the shutout by snapping Estela Perez-Somarriba’s 11-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 1.

 

Post-Match Quotes:

Vanderbilt Coach Geoff Macdonald:
Opening Statement:
In the doubles point I thought they (Miami) played great at three. We were a little tight at the beginning of the doubles and I thought we
played superb from a service perspective.

On defeating a good Miami team:
We have a lot of respect for Miami. We played Miami in a tournament in January, so we have the utmost respect for them. We played
really well. I thought playing indoors probably helped us a little more than Miami.

On Astra Sharmas Clinching Match at No. 1:
It was a really close match. (Miamis) Estela Perez-Somarriba is a fantastic player. We recruited her here. The level of play was fun for
anybody to watch. It was such good tennis. Im happy for Astra. She works so hard. Shes a total class act and Im proud of her. I thought
she did some things shes been working on and they showed in the match today beautifully.

Astra Sharma, senior, No. 1 singles
Opening Statement:
I actually started out not so good. I didnt quite have my range yet in my forehand. What really worked was just trying to slow the match down and find
my pace and rhythm. I thought once I could get the match on my terms it would be an easier match to win. Luckily, I did.

On playing a top-five opponent (Miamis Estela Perez-Somarriba is ranked No. 3)
I actually didnt even know until after the match. I dont really keep track of the college rankings. I knew going in she was a really good player. Vanderbilt
tried to recruit her really hard. Since we played earlier in the year, I knew what I was going up against. I knew she was going to be really good, so I was
just looking forward to a quality match.

Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews
On todays match:
I saw a team just jumping on us at the right moments. We were in the points until a certain moment and as soon as we responded with a short ball,
they were attacking and moving forward. You have to give credit to Vandy, they played great tennis. We knew what to expect. We werent doing a
good enough job of jumping on those balls ourselves. We didnt do a good job of responding when they were playing aggressive tennis and forcing us
to move at angles backward which we cant be doing against a team like them. Credit to Vandy, they played great tennis, smart tennis. They were the
better team today.

[1] #2 Vanderbilt 4, #16 Miami 0
May 17, 2018 at Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #11 Astra Sharma (VANDY) def. #3 E. Perez-Somarriba (UM) 6-4, 6-2
2. #10 Fernanda Contreras (VANDY) vs. #69 Sinead Lohan (UM) 6-4, 3-2, unfinished
3. #44 Christina Rosca (VANDY) def. Daniella Roldan (UM) 6-3, 6-3
4. Amanda Meyer (VANDY) def. Ana Madcur (UM) 6-3, 6-0
5. Emma Kurtz (VANDY) vs. Ulyana Shirokova (UM) 6-4, 4-3, unfinished
6. Summer Dvorak (VANDY) vs. Dominika Paterova (UM) 6-2, 5-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #11 Fernanda Contreras/Astra Sharma (VANDY) def. #68 E. Perez-Somarriba/Daniella Roldan (UM) 6-0
2. #69 Emma Kurtz/Emily Smith (VANDY) def. Sinead Lohan/Ana Madcur (UM) 6-3
3. Dominika Paterova/Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Amanda Meyer/Christina Rosca (VANDY) 6-3
Match Notes:
Miami 18-8, 11-3 ACC; National ranking #16
Vanderbilt 25-3, 12-1 SEC; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,3,1)
Match Played Indoors at Wake Forest 

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Georgia avenged a regular season loss to South Carolina by coming from behind to win 4-3 in a match that was played indoors at North Carolina. In the regular season meeting Georgia won the doubles point but then got wiped out in singles; on Thursday in Chapel Hill the opposite happened. South Carolina jumped on Georgia in doubles and cruised to 6-2 wins at No. 1 and No. 2 but the Bulldogs turned things around rather quickly in singles and took four opening sets. 

Georgia freshman Morgan Coppoc tied the match with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 6 and senior Mariana Gould put the Dawgs in front with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 4. South Carolina senior Hadley Berg tied the match 2-2 with a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 2 and sophomore Mia Horvit put the Gamecocks back in front with a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 3. 

Georgia sophomore Eleni Christofi tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win at No. 5. The third set started off with five consecutive breaks until Christofi held for 4-2 and then she’d add one more break to close it out. 

Georgia freshman Katarina Jokic would provide the clincher at No. 1 though it took her a few games longer than she had hoped. After Jokic held for 5-2 in the third, South Carolina’s Ingrid Gamarra Martins held serve and then broke to make it 5-4. Gamarra Martins went up 30/0 on her serve but after missing a forehand she grabbed her left thigh and proceeded to take a five-minute medical timeout to be treated for cramps. Gamarra Martins won the next point to go up 40/15 but then she tried an underhanded serve on the next point and Jokic punished the return and then finished with a volley winner to make it 40/30. Gamarra Martins then double faulted to make it 40/40 and then on the deciding point she netted a forehand from the service line to end it. 

 

Post-Match Quotes

Georgia Head Coach Jeff Wallace
This was a great match. A Sweet 16 match in the NCAA Tournament, you expect a match like this. South Carolina took us down earlier
in the season and so it was nice for us to get out here and do it. Not getting that doubles point, they completely outplayed us in doubles.
Mariana Gould has had such a great season, I cant say enough about her. She gets us a point and clinched both matches in the first two
rounds. Shes had an incredible senior year. Its great to see Elena Christofi win that match. Shes been up in a lot of matches and hasnt
been able to finish. Im glad she was able to finish one and it was huge. We needed that to tie it up 3-all. Im really proud of the full team
and it was a heck of a day. We lived up to our seed and now we want to do some special things from this point forward.

Georgias Katarina Jokic, Freshman, No. 1 singles
This is just unreal. I was trying not to look at the scoreboard and just stay focused on my match. When everyone came to support my
match, I just thought wow this is it. This is what I trained for, this is what weve prepared the last few weeks for and Im just so happy. I
couldnt be happier right now.

South Carolina Head Coach Kevin Epley
Today could have gone either way. At no point did I think they were going to win it or we were going to win it. I think in that match, the

Katarina Jokic match, she played solid enough and we had that muscle cramp go down and that made a difference. I thought we were
getting some momentum and that took the wind out of our sails. I give credit to Jokic because she stepped up and got it done.

#7 Georgia 4, #10 South Carolina 3
May 17, 2018 at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Singles competition
1. #12 Katarina Jokic (UGA) def. #59 I. Gamarra Martins (SC) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
2. #34 Hadley Berg (SC) def. #75 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 6-2, 6-4
3. Mia Horvit (SC) def. #90 Marta Gonzalez (UGA) 7-5, 6-1
4. Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Paige Cline (SC) 6-4, 6-1
5. Eleni Christofi (UGA) def. #113 Megan Davies (SC) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
6. #103 Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Rachel Rohrabacher (SC) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #63 Paige Cline/Hadley Berg (SC) def. #10 Eleni Christofi/Morgan Coppoc (UGA) 6-2
2. I. Gamarra Martins/Mia Horvit (SC) def. #26 Mariana Gould/Katarina Jokic (UGA) 6-2
3. Annette Goulak/Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) vs. Megan Davies/Rachel Rohrabacher (SC) 3-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
Georgia 18-6; National ranking #7
South Carolina 21-7; National ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,4,2,3,5,1)
Match Played Indoors at North Carolina

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UCLA advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2015 by avenging a regular season loss to Ole Miss with a 4-1 win in a match that was played outdoors on the back courts at Wake Forest. The Bruins won the doubles point for the 23rd time in 28 matches with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 and then they added five first sets in singles. 

UCLA sophomore Jada Hart and junior Ayan Broomfield picked up quick wins at No. 2 and No. 5 to make it 3-0 but Ole Miss fought back to force third sets on the other four courts. 

Ole Miss sophomore Anna Vrbenska put the Rebels on the board with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 4 but UCLA junior Alaina Miller closed it out with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 6. 

 

 

Post-Match Quotes

UCLA Head Coach Stella Sampras Webster:
Opening Statement:
I thought my team played really well. We knew that after the doubles point, the match was far from over. Weve won the doubles point
before and lost, so we really emphasized that the match was not going to be given to us. It looked like we were doing really well, but in
this tournament, crazy things happen.

Im just thankful that we were able to close it out. Every team is so tough. Ole Miss didnt give it to us. We had to earn it. I felt like our
team played really well to get this win because it could have gone anywhere if we didnt win that last match.

UCLAs Alaina Miller, junior, #6 singles:
Im just so proud of this team. Weve worked so hard this whole season. To see Ayan (Broomfield) and Jada (Hart) play so well, its great.
We love the support of the parents and everyone here. Its a great feeling. This team is in for something special.

Ole Miss Head Coach Mark Beyers:
Opening Statement:
We dug ourselves a little too deep of a hole. Starting with doubles and then the two quick singles matches. After that, we fought really well. We did a great job of fighting back and gave ourselves an opportunity (to win). It was a fantastic match, but you have to be perfect when you dig yourself into a 3-0 hole. You have no margin for error. Then, UCLAs No. 6 singles (Alaina Miller) went on a streak where she
played some really good tennis and she was able to turn that match around and that was it.

#14 UCLA 4, #6 Ole Miss 1
May 17, 2018 at Winston Salem, NC (Wake Forest Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #7 Arianne Hartono (OM) vs. #9 Ena Shibahara (UCLA) 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 2-2, unfinished
2. #33 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #79 Sabina Machalova (OM) 6-2, 6-2
3. Tea Jandric (OM) vs. Terri Fleming (UCLA) 6-7, 6-3, 2-3, unfinished
4. Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. #67 Abi Altick (UCLA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. Ayan Broomfield (UCLA) def. Natalie Suk (OM) 6-2, 6-0
6. #121 Alaina Miller (UCLA) def. Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #5 Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (OM) vs. #7 Terri Fleming/Jada Hart (UCLA) 3-5, unfinished
2. #90 Gabby Andrews/Ayan Broomfield (UCLA) def. #64 Sabina Machalova/Tea Jandric (OM) 6-4
3. #1 Alaina Miller/Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. Anna Vrbenska/Natalie Suk (OM) 6-4
Match Notes
UCLA 23-5; National ranking #14
Ole Miss 22-7; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,5,4,6)
Match Played Outdoors at Wake Forest on Back 6 Courts

 

Quarterfinals (Saturday)

[3] Duke vs. [11] Texas Tech – 12 p.m.
[7] Georgia vs. [15] Stanford – 12 p.m.
[1] Vanderbilt vs. Florida State  – 4 p.m.
[4] Georgia Tech vs. [12] UCLA – 4 p.m