The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 15 Rebels to Kick off SEC Play
2/26/2015 | Women's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - Celebrating their best start since 1997, the No. 15 ranked Ole Miss women's tennis team has one more road trip with two challenging stops before they settle in for a four game stretch at home in March. The Rebels kick off Southeastern Conference play this weekend at No. 25 Kentucky followed by a match at No. 13 Vanderbilt Sunday.
The Rebels and Wildcats will square off at 3 p.m. CT Friday at the Boone Tennis Center. Following that match, the Rebels will head to Nashville for a 1 p.m. match Sunday against the Commodores.
"We are really excited about starting the SEC season," head coach Mark Beyers said. "This will be a tough test right out of the gate playing two very good teams on the road. However, I believe our tough non-conference schedule has prepared us well for these types of battles we'll be facing in the next couple of months."
Last Time Out ...
The Rebels enjoyed a sweetheart of a double win over Valentine's weekend, dominating previously undefeated Tulane 6-1 on the day before Valentine's and then defeating William and Mary 5-2 on Feb. 15. Against Tulane, senior Julia Jones won all her games against Tulane's Nicky Stracar and teamed with Natalie Suk to win doubles 6-0. Senior Erin Stephens bested William & Mary's Maria Groener 7-5, 6-3, winning five straight games in the second set to clinch the win. Freshman Arianne Hartono rallied from a set down and 5-2 in the second set to win 11 straight games to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead, which set up Stephens for the clinch.
Scouting Kentucky ...
The Wildcats, ranked No. 25 in the nation, swept Tulane and Eastern Kentucky in the last action. Kentucky is led by 60th-ranked Nadia Ravita, who owns a 6-4 overall record, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. Ravita also teams with Aldila Sutjiadi for a No. 28 ranking in doubles.
Series ...
Ole Miss has won six straight against Kentucky, including topping the then No. 24 ranked Wildcats 4-2 last year in Oxford.
Scouting Vanderbilt ...
The Commodores, ranked No. 13, squeaked past No. 6 Baylor 4-3 last Sunday to improve to 5-4. Vanderbilt is led by No. 11 ranked sophomore Sydney Campbell.
Series ...
The Rebels have won four of the last six against Vanderbilt, but the Commodores won an exciting contest in Oxford last year, 4-3, to snap a three-match win streak in the series by Ole Miss.
National Rankings ...
In the first computer ITA National Rankings of the season, the Rebels made a move, coming in at No. 15. This marks the first time for the Rebels to be inside the top 15 since 1999, when they ended the season at No. 6. In the latest singles rankings, senior Julia Jones is ranked No. 14 and freshman Arianne Hartono is ranked No. 43 and junior Mai El Kamash is ranked No. 109.
The 100 Watch ...
With 91 wins, senior Julia Jones needs nine more to join the elite 100-club. Jones would be the fifth player in program history to reach this milestone.
Rebel Reunion ...
Kentucky volunteer assistant coach Gabby Rangel played for the Rebels from 2009-12 and was a teammate of Ole Miss volunteer assistant Kristi Boxx. Rangel is pursuing a PhD at Kentucky.
Do I Know You? ...
They won't be facing off the court, but freshman Arianne Hartono and Kentucky junior Nadia Ravita are quite familiar with each other. They are cousins.
Live Coverage ...
You can follow both theKentucky match and the match with live scoring.
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter, @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis.
Players Mentioned
