COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou tennis team opened Southeastern Conference action with a 7-0 road loss to No. 6 Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at the Hilary J. Currey Tennis Center in Nashville, Tenn.
The Tigers fell to 10-2 overall and 0-1 in SEC competition with the loss, while the Commodores improved to 6-3 and 1-0.
SINGLES
The Commodores used wins as No. 5, 4 and 1 singles to clinch the team victory. At No. 1 action, junior Mackenzy Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) battled with Fernanda Contreras, the nation's third-ranked singles player, but suffered a 6-4, 6-3 loss. No. 50 Georgia Dummy defeated junior Serena Nash (Bradford, England), 6-3, 6-2, at No. 2, and Mizzou freshman Vivien Abraham (Budapest, Hungary) fell to Summer Dvorak, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 5. Additionally, at No. 4 singles, sophomore Ellie Wright (Gainesville, Fla.) dropped a 6-2, 6-3 match to Carolyn Campana.
Sophomore Taylor Gruber (Spicewood, Texas) and freshman Lisa Fukutoku (Tokyo, Japan) pushed their matches to decisive third set tiebreakers but both ultimately fell to their opponents. Gruber won her first set but lost to No. 77 Emily Smith, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4), while Fukutoku came back to force the tiebreak but was defeated by #37 Amanda Meyer, 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7).
DOUBLES
Vanderbilt picked up victories at No. 2 and 3 doubles to take the early doubles point. Dvorak and Meyer claimed a 6-2 win over sophomore Marta Oliveira (Lisbon, Portugal) and Fukutoku at No. 2, while Drummy and Emma Kurtz defeated Nash and junior Gabrielle Goldin (Bradenton, Fla.), 6-0.
QUOTABLES
Mizzou Head Coach Colt Gaston
"Tough one for us today. I thought the team did a good job of fighting and getting into matches on all courts, but ultimately Vanderbilt played the big points better than us today. We will grow from this and prepare for Kentucky on Sunday."
UP NEXT
Missouri travels to Lexington, Ky., to take on No. 25 Kentucky on Sunday, March 3 at 10 a.m. CT.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Fernanda Contreras/Emily Smith (VU) vs. Mackenzy Middlebrooks/Ellie Wright, 5-3, unfinished
2. Summer Dvorak/Amanda Meyer (VU) def. Lisa Fukutoku/Marta Oliveira (MIZ), 6-2
3. Georgia Drummy/Emma Kurtz (VU) def. Serena Nash/Gabrielle Goldin (MIZ), 6-0
Order of finish: 3,2
Singles
1. #3 Fernanda Contreras (VU) def. Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ), 6-4, 6-3
2. #50 Georgia Drummy (VU) def. Serena Nash (MIZ), 6-3, 6-2
3. #37 Amanda Meyer (VU) def. Lisa Fukutoku (MIZ), 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
4. Carolyn Campana (VU) def. Ellie Wright (MIZ), 6-2, 6-3
5. Summer Dvorak (VU) def. Vivien Abraham (MIZ), 6-2, 6-1
6. #77 Emily Smith (VU) def. Taylor Gruber (MIZ), 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4)
Order of finish: 5,4,1,3,6
