The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Tennessee
No. 9 Rebels Shut Out Tennessee on Senior Day
4/7/2018 | Women's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - Seniors Arianne Hartono and Natalie Suk have meant a lot to the No. 9 Ole Miss women's tennis team, and on Saturday they celebrated Senior Day with a 4-0 win against Tennessee at the Ole Miss Indoor Tennis Center.
Due to inclement weather, the match was played indoors. Following the senior presentation, the Rebels came out firing in doubles with Suk and Anna Vrbenska taking a 6-1 win on court three and then Sabina Machalova and Tea Jandric winning 6-3 on court two to clinch the point.
Tennessee gave the Rebels a battle in singles, but Hartono delivered in her final regular season home match, defeating Sadie Hammond 6-3, 6-4 to make it 2-0 and then Vrbenska finished off Kaitlin Staines 6-4, 6-4 on court four to increase the lead to 3-0.
With three of the remaining four courts either in or beginning a third set, sophomore Alexa Bortles made sure none would be necessary, rallying in her second set against Gabby Schuck, to win 6-4, 6-3 and clinch the victory.
Quick Hits…
• The Rebels improved to 17-5 overall, 8-4 in the SEC.
• The Rebels have won six straight.
• The Rebels finished the regular season 6-3 at home.
• Arianne Hartono improved to 17-2 at No. 1 singles, 10-2 in the SEC. She has won six straight.
• Anna Vrbenska is now 14-2 this spring, 8-2 in the SEC.
#9 Ole Miss 4, #31 Tennessee 0
Doubles
1. Alexa Bortles/Arianne Hartono (OM) vs. Kaitlin Staines/Ariadna Riley (UT) 5-3, sus.
2. Sabina Machalova/Tea Jandric (OM) def. Gabby Schuck/Sadie Hammond (UT) 6-3
3. Natalie Suk/Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Elizabeth Profit/Chelsea Sawyer (UT) 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2
Singles
1. Arianne Hartono (OM) def. Sadie Hammond (UT) 6-3, 6-4
2. Sabina Machalova (OM) vs. Elizabeth Profit (UT) 0-6, 7-6 (7-1), 3-1, sus.
3. Tea Jandric (OM) vs. Ariadna Riley (UT) 4-6, 6-4, sus.
4. Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Kaitlin Staines (UT) 6-4, 6-4
5. Alexa Bortles (OM) def. Gabby Schuck (UT) 6-4, 6-3
6. Tereza Janatova (OM) vs. Johanna Silva (UT) 6-0, 5-7, sus.
Order of Finish: 1, 4, 5
Courtside with Head Coach Mark Beyers...
"That was some of the best doubles that we've played this year, we really took control of the point. If you look at Tennessee's results, they have a win over Auburn and even in their losses, they had a lot of close matches. They've been knocking on the door, so I knew that they would give us a battle. We are really excited for Nat and Ari to get a win on their senior day and to go 2-0 for the weekend. To be able to follow up the huge Georgia win with a 4-0 win today is a fantastic weekend."
On players coming back to win second sets…
"I am proud of Sabina and Tea battling and coming back to win their second sets, that's what it's all about. Obviously, you want to win in two sets, but if somehow you lose a set, you want to keep battling and not go away. Alexa being down 3-0 in the second and winning six straight games, those are the kind of comebacks that you're looking for."
On what Ari and Nat mean to the program…
"When you talk about their accomplishments, the list goes on and on with what Ari and Nat have done not only on the court, but off it as well. They've won so many tennis matches, but they're also great people and great student-athletes. They are the type of players you want in your program."
Senior Arianne Hartono
"It was a great day and weekend. You can't expect to have any easy matches. Coach always prepares us to expect a tough battle every single day and that's what happened today. The scoreboard says 4-0, but we had to fight for every point."
On emotions of Senior Day…
"I didn't notice it at first, but then I saw my friends with their families, which have become like my family, since mine is back home in the Netherlands. It's so nice to see that I have a big community behind me and a big family in Oxford. I really appreciate everyone who came out to support me."
Next up…
The Rebels will head to Starkville on April 13 to battle Mississippi State at 4 p.m.
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Beyers on Twitter, @MarkBeyers.
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Players Mentioned
