CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati tennis team dropped a 5-0 decision to #26 Tennessee on the road Friday morning in a match played in Knoxville, Tenn. The Bearcats, facing their first nationally-ranked team of the season, slipped to 6-4 on the year while the Volunteers improved to 8-1.
// DROP SHOTS
• Cincinnati falls to 6-4 on the year while Tennessee improved to 8-1
• The match was the first in the series between the two programs
• Maria Santilli, playing up at #4 from her usual #6 position, suffered her first dual loss of the year and saw her eight-match win streak snapped
• With two regular starters out of the lineup today, Sofia Bruno played her first dual match as a collegian, falling at the #6 singles position
// TOTH TALKS
Following the match, Head Coach Eric Toth offered his thoughts on the play of his team:
"I felt our girls really competed well in singles, just didn't capitalize on the opportunities that were there for us to put us in better position to finish off sets," Toth said. "Sunday at Indiana is another tough test for us, but one I feel we can be very competitive in. Everyone that is going to be out there for us is going to have to simply step it up just a bit and just be a better version of who they have been on the court the last couple of times out."
// DOUBLES MATCHES
Playing with a different lineup than usual, the Bearcats surrendered the doubles point as UT won both the #1 and #2 matches for a 1-0 lead. The team of Alexia Coutino and Caroline Morton fell to #8 Tenika McGiffin and Kaitlin Staines, 6-0, before Kelli Niehaus and Anna Philp fell at #2, 6-2, to the team of Rebeka Mertena and Johanna Silva. The #3 match, which saw Sofia Bruno and Maria Santilli team up for the Bearcats, went unfinished with the Volunteers duo leading at the time, 5-2.
// SINGLES PLAY
In single, four of the six matches were completed with the Volunteers taking each. Bruno fell at #6 to McGiffin, 6-3, 6-2, before Coutino fell, 6-4, 6-2, to #73 Staines. Philp dropped a 6-0, 7-5 decision at #5 to Hadley Doyle before the dual concluded with Santilli suffering her first dual loss of the season in a 6-2, 6-3 setback to #100 Carly Briggs. Morton's match at #1 against #40 Mertena and Niehaus' match at #3 against #55 Silva both went unfinished.
// NEXT SERVE
The Bearcats finish off a four-dual road trip this Sunday when they take on Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., in an 11 a.m. start.
Dual #10 • Cincinnati at #26 Tennessee
February 21, 2020 • Goodfriend Tennis Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Tennessee wins, 5-0
SINGLES
1 • #40 Rebeka Mertena (T) led Caroline Morton, 6-2, 5-2 (unfinished)
2 • #73 Kaitlin Staines (T) def. Alexia Coutino, 6-4, 6-2
3 • #55 Johanna Silva (T) led Kelli Niehaus, 6-3, 5-3 (unfinished)
4 • #100 Carly Briggs (T) def. Maria Santilli, 6-2, 6-3
5 • Hadley Doyle (T) def. Anna Philp, 6-0, 7-5
6 • Tenika McGiffin (T) def. Sofia Bruno, 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 6-2-5-4
DOUBLES
1 • #8 T. McGiffin / K. Staines (T) def. Coutino / Morton, 6-0
2 • R. Mertena / J. Silva (T) def. Niehaus / Philp, 6-2
3 • C. Briggs / Ariadna Riley (T) led Bruno / Santilli, 5-2 (unfinished)
Order of finish: 1-2
Bearcats Fall at #26 Tennessee, 5-0
The University of Cincinnati tennis team dropped a 5-0 decision to 26 Tennessee on the road Friday morning in a match played in Knoxville, Tenn.
