By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. – During the course of the fourth fall event for the University of Tennessee at Martin tennis squad on Sunday afternoon, sophomore Spaniard Ariadna Ondo finished with an unbeaten personal record in both singles and doubles play versus Saint Louis and Southeast Missouri in a three-way duel, helping the Skyhawks accumulate seven overall victories out of 20 completed series.
Responsible for exactly half of UTM’s singles wins over the Redhawks and Billikens while also manning the court during 66% of the squad’s doubles victories, Ondo concluded the weekend as the most notable performer on an improving unit. The senior-freshman tandem of Amelia Campbell and Lia Espinal rounded out the rest of the Skyhawks’ singles wins – both over Saint Louis – giving the navy and orange 14 total victories in one-on-one competition near the end of the group’s fall slate.
After Campbell managed a 6-1 and 7-6 singles win over Mya Spencer of the Billikens, Espinal did the same to Saint Louis’ Lizzie Barlow by a 6-2 and 6-1 clip. Ondo finished singles play as the only Skyhawk to post a W head-to-head with a SEMO performer, besting Manuela Barriga 6-1 and 7-5 after already downing SLOU’s Nawal Cheema 6-0 and 6-2 earlier in the day.
Ondo, a second-year Valencia native, continued her perfect day in doubles outings when paired with Aziza Aubin and Jule Streif respectively, gaining one win each over Saint Louis and the Redhawks. Each UTM win in two-on-two competition finished in a tight race, where the Ondo/Aubin combo defeated Kate Sexton and Cheema (representing the Billikens) 7-6. Later coupled with Streif against the Redhawks’ Lera Valeeva and Ksenia Shikanova, Ondo’s pair grabbed a similar victory of a 7-5 proportion.
UT Martin’s third and final doubles win of the day came from the familiar formation of Sina Albersmeier and Mizuki Sakurai, getting the better of Saint Louis for the fifth time overall with a 7-6 barnburner over Barlow and Jessica Stefan. Altogether, the Skyhawks finished the triple threat event at 5-7 against the Billikens next to a 2-6 mark versus Southeast Missouri. The latter singles series could have been expanded upon further, although two no contests during Campbell and Jillian Niedzialowski’s second sets left things a bit unresolved until UTM can get another crack at SEMO in the lengthier spring 2022 schedule.
Winners of 22 series in total through the first four dates on the semester, head coach Caitlyn Williams’ group will prepare for the fall finale near the end of October, participating in the ITA Ohio Valley Regionals from Murfreesboro, Tenn. in a five-day format. Beginning on Thursday, October 21st, the tournament will serve as the last event until January when the Skyhawks visit Western Kentucky three months later to begin the second half of the academic year.
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information