The Tennessee Lady Vols are making some serious noise in the NCAA Tournament, and they're just getting started. On Friday, the team punched their ticket to the second round with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Old Dominion in the Durham Regional, hosted by Duke. It's the 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance for Tennessee women's tennis, and this squad is proving they belong on the big stage.
The match, held at Ambler Tennis Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, was a true test of grit. Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda praised her team's ability to adapt under pressure. "We train to be able to make adjustments when we need to, and our girls did an incredible job of doing just that today," she said.
The Lady Vols came out swinging in doubles play. The 38th-ranked duo of Francesca Mattioli and Vanesa Suarez set the tone with a 6-3 win over Kira Matushkina and Victoria Matasova. Not to be outdone, the 21st-ranked pair of Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso dominated their match, taking down Uladzislava Manzhos and Marina Markina 6-1. That early momentum was crucial.
Singles action was where the drama really unfolded. No. 11 Katrina Scott delivered a statement performance, dismantling No. 100 Kira Matushkina 6-2, 6-1. Vanesa Suarez, ranked 87th, followed suit with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Uladzislava Manzhos. Francesca Mattioli also stepped up, clinching a key point with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Lidiia Rasskouskaia. While the Lady Vols dropped a few matches—including Catherine Aulia falling to Ulyana Romanova and Saray Yli-Piipari losing to Marina Markina—their depth and resilience carried them through.
Now, Tennessee faces their toughest test yet: a showdown with No. 15 seed Duke on Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT. The Blue Devils advanced after a 4-0 sweep of VCU in the first round. With the Lady Vols riding high and their season on the line, expect nothing less than a battle on the court. Whether you're a tennis fan or just love a good underdog story, this is one match you won't want to miss.