Tennis Center this weekend as the No. 12-ranked Lady Vol tennis team opened
its season with three straight victories.
Poised with rackets in their hands and determination in their eyes, the
team crushed the competition, one shot after another. Their efforts were
unstoppable as they attacked the ball with the consistency and style that
has brought them to the forefront of women’s tennis.
“I can honestly say that our entire team — freshmen and all – opened
up a large can of ‘whup-ass’ before the weekend started,” said junior
Whitney Dill, who won all five of her matches this weekend.
Starting their season with a 3-0 record sets the pace for what promises
to be an exciting season. The team swung past Illinois on Friday night,
Ohio State on Saturday and Purdue on Sunday.
Each player emerged victorious from Friday’s competition, punctuating
the start of the season with a 9-0 shutout. The Orange and White dropped
only two matches on both Saturday and Sunday as they finished with a pair
of 7-2 over the Buckeyes and the Boilermakers. As the competition grew more
intense, so did the determination and focus of the Lady Vols.
“We are a consistent, solid team, and we got stronger and stronger
after each match,” said co-coach Sonia Hahn-Patrick.
Senior All-American Manisha Malhotra displayed her No. 17-ranked talents
as she won two of her three matches in the No. 1 singles competition. Malhotra
then teamed with fellow senior All-American Margie Lepsi to defeat two of
their three competitors, as the 14th-ranked doubles pair set a winning example
for their team.
“Everyone came together to win big,” Lepsi said. “The
team unity has really made a difference.”
Contributing to the team’s success were freshmen Megan Russell and Vinny
Seiverling. The newcomers won all of their matches in both singles and doubles
play. Hahn-Patrick is pleased with the rookies’ accomplishments.
“Both have very contrasting types of play, but they are good competitors
and are doing great,” Hahn-Patrick said.
Russell teamed with sophomore Candy Reid to sweep the competition in
the No. 2 doubles spot. The pair is ranked 27th in the nation and look to
play a large role in the team’s success in 1998.
Also crushing the competition was sophomore Kelli Heaton, who posted
wins in the singles competition as well in the doubles competition, where
she was joined by Seiverling.
Senior Erin Lowrey gave a stellar performance as she earned victories
in all four of her matches, including a 6-0, 6-0 beating of Ohio State’s
Kadri Kanepi in the No. 4 singles spot.
“This weekend showed how good we can be,” Lowrey said. “We
gained a lot of confidence and momentum.”
Though the team showed tremendous determination and skill, they were
missing one key ingredient. Junior Emily Woodside, who is sidelined by a
shoulder injury, will remain a spectator until mid-February. While the team
cruised past the competition this weekend, Woodside’s absence will surely
be felt in the upcoming matches.
“Our team has really come together,” Hahn-Patrick said. “It
is just unfortunate that Emily is out of the lineup.”
Though Woodside misses contributing to her team’s success on the court,
she has seen the positive side of watching her teammates compete.
“I am hungry to play and help the team, but I am taking advantage
of watching and learning,” she said.
With their season underway and their sights set on victory, the Lady
Vols have begun the journey to the top. They have created a foundation of
excellence that promises to propel them to victory against future opponents.
Taking command of their home court and consistently dominating the competition,
the Lady Vols have set a precedent for success.
The team will travel to Utah on Thursday to prepare for their battle
against Brigham Young University. They will then return to Knoxville to
swing into Southeastern Conference action on Feb. 27.
Copyright © 1998, The Daily Beacon. All rights reserved.
