When Tennessee women’s tennis faced LSU for the second time this season on Saturday, many things were different.
To begin, the match took place at home and outdoors for the Lady Vols, compared to a neutral-site, indoor match as part of the ITA Indoor Championships. The result was also different: the Tigers swept the first meeting, but this time, Tennessee came out on top 4-3.
Perhaps the biggest reason that Saturday’s match yielded a different result was the presence of Tennessee’s Katrina Scott on Court 1, who didn’t start competing with the team until after the ITAs.
Scott has been a force on the top singles court this season, facing the best that the SEC has to offer, with a 7-4 record this spring. But Saturday’s singles match was particularly unique, as Scott faced a familiar opponent, LSU’s Cadence Brace. Scott took down Brace 7(8)-6(6), 6-1 to clinch the match for the Lady Vols.
“Excellent job on Katrina’s end,” head coach Alison Ojeda said. “She and Cadence are two of the best players in the country. They’re good friends, and we knew it was going to be a hard-fought match, but the thing is, Katrina looked to move forward that entire match.”
Brace has the highest UTR rating in all of women’s collegiate tennis at 11.52. Scott boasts the sixth-best UTR at 11.37. Both grew up as some of North America’s highest-touted tennis prospects, and they’ve faced each other all the way up to the pros, including twice in the last twelve months.
“We definitely know each other’s game styles because we’ve practiced a lot and we’ve played a lot, so I think that helped,” Scott said.
This was the first time Brace and Scott had faced off in a collegiate setting. Brace claimed their last two matchups in the pro circuit.
“I knew it was going to be a different environment today,” Scott said. “I knew I could have my team on my side and I could really rely on them, and I think that’s what gave me the win today.”
Scott quickly jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, but the score was deceiving. Every game came down to the smallest of moments, and the points were all long and drawn out. Brace won five straight to bring it back and was up 6-5 with a chance to claim a pivotal first set.
“That’s huge, because we can win five games in a row, and they can all be deuce games,” Ojeda said. “And then we can very easily be on the other end of that, and next thing you know, it’s 5-all or 5-6. But we can’t back down all of a sudden just because of the score.”
Tennessee assistant coach Martim Prata helped Scott not to back down.
“I remember I was looking at Martim, and he came over to me on the changeover, and he’s like ‘It’s OK,’ and I’m like ‘No, it’s not. I’m pissed,” Scott said. “He was just like, ‘Just calm down, you’re playing really good and you just gotta keep going.’”
Scott responded with a win to force a tiebreaker, then won it, 8-6.
“From then, I just tried to pump myself up a little bit more,” Scott said. “I just needed some extra energy, and then once I got that game and kind of settled into the tiebreaker, I knew I was able to do it.”
Scott had won a massive first set, but the match was far from over. Both players were exhausted after a grueling set so long that two other singles matches were already finished before it was over. Scott kept herself mentally focused by remembering that Brace was experiencing the same fatigue as her.
“I was trying to think that it’s really hot for both of us, and we’re both really tired,” Scott said. “I know I’ve worked a lot, I know I’m really fit, and I can really rely on that. And then I knew it was just going to be a battle of who wanted it more.”
When the second set began, it seemed like something had clicked for Scott. She once again built up a big lead over Brace, and this time didn’t let it go, clinching the dual for the Lady Vols with a 6-1 win.
Even though Court 1 featured a marquee matchup, it truly was a team win for the Lady Vols. Scott has learned how impactful a college team atmosphere can be for her, even in the middle of a match.
“I kept on looking at my teammates, which has been new for me coming into college; I’ve definitely leaned on them a lot,” Scott said.
Over the course of this season, Ojeda, Prata and all of the Lady Vol teammates have helped Scott improve her mindset and given her the chance to compete for something bigger than herself.
“I feel like I’ve become a new person in college, honestly,” Scott said. “I’ve started to enjoy the game so much more, so I’m trying not to focus on the wins or losses.”
Now, Scott and the Lady Vols will head into the SEC Championships on a winning streak, and another matchup with Brace is undoubtedly in the cards if LSU can get past the 16-seed in the tournament. Ojeda wants Tennessee to be ready to face the Tigers again and whatever other teams come their way in the postseason.
“We’ve got to be excited about the battle,” Ojeda said. “Once we get into the postseason, that’s what you’re going to see from our team, being courageous in a patiently aggressive way.”
