MADISON, Wisc. – The University of Georgia Bulldogs had extra incentive to get off on the right foot at the 2018 ITA Division I National Women’s Team Indoor Championship at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
With a win, the Bulldogs, seeded No. 2 in the 16-team tournament, would give head coach Jeff Wallace career win No. 700. Their opponent on Friday, the Texas Longhorns, weren’t going to make that an easy task.
After taking the doubles point, Georgia cleared two lines in singles to move a point away from victory, only to see the Longhorns rattle off a pair of wins to move within a point at 3-2. With the match hanging in the balance, Georgia’s Kennedy Shaffer outlasted Anna Turati in three sets at No. 2 singles 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to clinch the match and hand Wallace his historic win.
“I’m really just more excited for the team,” said Wallace. “We have a young group and what they were able to accomplish (on Friday) was tough. Texas played phenomenal tennis against us and we had our backs up against the wall, losing four first sets in singles after winning the doubles point. It was a great team effort, from the players competing to the ones on the sidelines keeping our players focused and engaged and believing. We had to have all of it.”
The Bulldogs will take on No. 7 Duke in Saturday’s quarterfinal round. The Blue Devils put forth an impressive showing on Friday, blanking South Carolina 4-0.
Seeded teams continued to hold serve into the afternoon session, with No. 3 North Carolina holding off Ole Miss 4-2, while No. 6 Texas Tech defeated UCLA by the same margin, setting up a quarterfinal showdown with the Tar Heels.
The 4-2 scores would continue into the evening, with No. 5 Georgia Tech and No. 4 Pepperdine each winning by the same score in opening round contests against Michigan and Auburn, respectively.
Florida, the defending tournament champion, fought off a valiant effort from host Wisconsin in doubles to take a 1-0 lead, and went on to win the match 4-0. Vanderbilt, the No. 1 seed, closed out the opening day of competition with a 4-0 victory over Wake Forest, setting up an all-SEC quarterfinal showdown with the No. 8 Gators.
For updated draws, results, live scoring and video, daily video highlights and photo galleries, head to the ITA Division I National Women’s Team Indoor Championship event page. On social media, be sure to follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtag #ITAIndoors to join the conversation. Intercollegiate Tennis Association is proud to work with allies Tennis-Ticker on live scoring and PlaySight for live streaming.
#ITAIndoors First Round Results
No. 2 Georgia def. Texas 4-2
No. 7 Duke def. South Carolina 4-0
No. 6 Texas Tech def. UCLA 4-2
No. 3 North Carolina def. Ole Miss 4-2
No. 5 Georgia Tech def. Michigan 4-2
No. 4 Pepperdine def. Auburn 4-2
No. 8 Florida def. Wisconsin 4-0
No. 1 Vanderbilt def. Wake Forest 4-0