16 Tennessee Reaches Second Straight NCAA Super Regional, Dropping #21 Duke 4-0

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 16th-seeded Tennessee women’s tennis team swept past No. 21 Duke in a 4-0 victory during the Second Round of the 2024 Women’s NCAA Team Championship on Sunday afternoon at Barksdale Stadium. The triumph marked the 11th time in the program’s history the Lady Volunteers have reached the round of 16, including the second consecutive year.

“I am absolutely thrilled for our team. The girls have worked so hard,” head coach Alison Ojeda said. “It’s been a goal all year long to get back to the Sweet 16. Duke is a very very good team. They are incredibly talented and they have dealt with some injuries throughout the year and they are healthier now and we knew that they were going to give us a really tough fight. For us to be able to come out win the doubles point, and just stay on it in singles on every single court was huge. I’m really proud of the girls and excited.”

Play began with Tennessee (20-7, 9-4 SEC) defeating Duke (16-10) in a hard-fought doubles point match. Iulliia Brygalova and Brianna Shvets were defeated 6-3 by Lauren Anzalotta and Catherine Aulia.Alana Wolfberg and Esther Adeshina defeated Karolina Berankova and Emma Jackson 6-3 to secure the title.

When play was stopped, Sofia Cabezas and Elza Tomase, rated No. 11, had a 5-3 advantage against Katie Codd and Shavit Kimchi.

“We’ve come a long way from the start of the season and have a lot of confidence in ourselves right now,” Adeshina stated. “We are ready to keep going throughout this tournament.”

After grabbing a 1-0 lead, the Lady Vols had their hands full against three ranked singles opponents but, did not let it phase their play. Adeshina retired her opponent, Karolina Berankova, in 6-2, 6-1 fashion. Wolfberg fended off Iuiia Bryzgalova in a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Anzalotta capped off the match with a 6-1, 6-4 decision, defeating Brianna Shvets.

“I think this team is special in so many different ways,” Anzalotta said. “Everyone has different personalities and they come from different places so everyone is able to contribute something different to the team. At the end of the day, we all share the same goal and I think that is why we are such a fun team to be around. When I wake up I’m so excited to come work hard for my team and I do it because I love them.”

NEXT UP:

Tennessee will face the No. 1 seed Oklahoma State on Saturday at Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla. The match is slated for a 2 p.m. ET start.

Match Notables:

• The win marked the 785th victory for the Tennessee women’s tennis program.

• Head coach Alison Ojeda now owns 141 victories during her tenure.

• Sunday’s victory marked the fourth victory in program history against Duke, including the first in the Ojeda era and the first in Knoxville.

• The squad secured the doubles advantage for the 23rd time this season.

• For the first time in the Ojeda era, the Big Orange reached the round of 16 in back-to-back seasons.

• The sweep marked the 24th time in program history the Lady Vols have swept an opponent in the NCAA Tournament, including the sixth in the Ojeda era.

• The shutout marked the Lady Vols 12th sweep this spring, the highest number in a single season in the Ojeda era.

• Tennessee reached the 20-win mark for the 13th time in program history. It is the Lady Vols’ third time doing so under Ojeda, who also led the squad to a 20-win season in 2023 and 2019.

Results:

Singles

1. #14 Sofia Cabezas (TENN) vs. #83 Emma Jackson (DUKE) 6-4, 5-3, unfinished

2. Elza Tomase (TENN) vs. #63 Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) 7-6 (9-7), 3-2, unfinished

3. Alana Wolfberg (TENN) def. Iuliia Bryzgalova (DUKE) 6-1, 6-4

4. Catherine Aulia (TENN) vs. #102 Katie Codd (DUKE) 1-6, 6-2, 2-1, unfinished

5. Lauren Anzalotta (TENN) def. Brianna Shvets (DUKE) 6-1, 6-4

6. Esther Adeshina (TENN) def. Karolina Berankova (DUKE) 6-2, 6-1

Order of Finish: (6,3,5)

Doubles

1. #11 Sofia Cabezas/Elza Tomase (TENN) vs. Katie Codd/Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) 5-3, unfinished

2. Alana Wolfberg/Esther Adeshina (TENN) def. Karolina Berankova/Emma Jackson (DUKE) 6-3

3. Catherine Aulia/Lauren Anzalotta (TENN) def. Iuliia Bryzgalova/Brianna Shvets (DUKE) 6-3

Order of Finish: (3,2)