KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers women’s tennis team secured a decisive 4-0 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, propelled by a strong performance from its senior class.
Seniors Leyla Britez Risso, Catherine Aulia, and Vanesa Suarez have emerged as key leaders for the No. 9 ranked Lady Vols (5-1, 1-0 SEC). The trio’s impact was immediately felt in doubles play, where Tennessee claimed the early advantage. Britez Risso and Aulia, currently ranked No. 21 nationally in doubles, were competing at Court 1 but did not finish their match. Yet, victories on Courts 2 and 3 secured the doubles point for Tennessee.
“On the court, they’ve done an outstanding job of just continuing to, every single day, obtain better,” said Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda. “And so you see that on the tennis court, so not only are they getting better, but they’re doing it in a way where they’re literally coming out against opponents who are really excellent, and raising their level of performance.”
Suarez, a junior transfer from Kansas State last season, showcased her skill at Court 1 in singles, defeating Julia Zhu, ranked No. 119 in the ITA singles rankings, with a 7-6 first set victory, though the match remained unfinished. Aulia quickly followed with a dominant performance over Reese Sager, winning 6-3, 6-0 on Court 3. Sophomore Saray Yli-Piipari then secured a point for the Lady Vols with a 6-2, 6-2 win on Court 5.
Britez Risso sealed the victory for Tennessee, defeating Zoe Hammond, ranked No. 94 in ITA’s singles rankings, 6-0, 6-3 on Court 2. The win comes after Britez Risso was selected as an alternate for both the NCAA Individual singles and doubles championships, alongside Aulia in the doubles field, last season.
The team’s strong bond was evident throughout the match, with players offering vocal support to one another after each point. “They’re away from their families,” Ojeda said. “You got Cat in from Australia, you got Leyla from Paraguay, and Vanessa from Venezuela, so Here’s their family. And so how they treat others and how we all treat them, it’s just that overall idea of respect for one another.”
“It all comes from practice,” Britez Risso said. “We’ve been practicing really well, with the intent of what we desire to do on match day. Also, confidence is a huge thing too, when we approach out here, we just want to win, we want to play every point the best we can.”
The Lady Volunteers will continue their season with a match against Oklahoma State on February 21 and Ohio State on February 22.
