Lady Rebel Netters Fall To Kentucky In SEC Championship

AUBURN, Ala. -- The Ole Miss women's tennis team was ousted in the first round of the SEC Championship Thursday with a 4-0 loss to No. 22 Kentucky at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Ala. The match was closer than the final score indicated.

Kentucky (15-8, 5-6) moves on to face Georgia in the quarterfinal round, while Ole Miss falls to 7-15 overall, 3-8 in the SEC.

In the first meeting this year, the Lady Rebels were able to win the always important doubles point. Kentucky switched up their teams from the last contest, and this time it worked in their favor as they gained the early 1-0 advantage. 

The team of senior Nika Koukhartchouk and freshman Karen Nijssen, ranked No. 35 in the nation, defeated UK’s Carolina Escamilla and Christine Johnson 8-4 at No. 1 doubles to improve to 14-8.  After Kentucky won the No. 3 match all eyes turned to court two with the Reb duo of Laura van de Stroet and Mimi Renaudin battling Megan Broderick and Alaina Trgovich.   The match went to a tiebreaker, and Kentucky won it 9-8(3) to clinch the point.

That was all the momentum the Wildcats needed to gain a quick 3-0 lead in the match.  Lauren Meier defeated Lady Rebel Soledad Podlipnik 6-2, 6-0 at No. 5 singles and then Megan Broderick avenged an earlier loss to Koukhartchouk, winning 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 to put her team within one.

The match was decided at No. 6 singles, as Whitney Spencer handed Ole Miss senior Mimi Renaudin a 7-6, 7-6 loss to clinch the victory.

When the match was stopped, Ole Miss led on court two with All-SEC honoree Nijssen, and the other two were in third sets on courts three and four.

SEC WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP AUBURN, Ala.

First round

#7 Kentucky 4, #10 Ole Miss 0

 

DOUBLES

1. Koukhartchouk/Nijssen (OM) def. Escamilla/Johnson (UK) 8-4

2. Broderick/Trgovich (UK) def. van de Stroet/Renaudin (OM) 9-8(3)

3. Meier/Spencer (UK) def. Subramanian/Podlipnik (OM) 8-4

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2

SINGLES

1. Megan Broderick (UK) def. Nika Koukhartchouk (OM) 6-4, 6-2

2. Karen Nijssen (OM) vs. Carolina Escamilla (UK) 7-5, 4-4

3. Laura van de Stroet (OM) vs. Christine Johnson (UK) 2-6, 7-5, 2-3

4. Preethi Subramanian (OM) vs. Alaina Trgovich (UK) 6-4, 1-6, 3-3

5. Lauren Meier (UK) def. Soledad Podlipnik (OM) 6-2, 6-0

6. Whitney Spencer (UK) def. Mimi Renaudin (OM) 7-6(2), 7-6(1)

Order of Finish: 5, 1, 6

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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