From UT Athletic Department:
Senior Natalie Pluskota became the fifth player in Tennessee Lady Vol tennis history to advance to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16, and to earn All-American honors in singles and doubles during her career, accomplishing both with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 win over Arizona's Lacey Smyth on Thursday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
After dropping a tightly-contested opening set, Pluskota dominated the second frame, 6-1, and raced out to a 5-2 second-set lead. Pluskota capped the win with a 7-5 third set, and became the 10th Lady Vol to earn All-American accolades in singles.
Pluskota will face the tournament's third seed in Stanford's Nicole Gibbs on Friday in the Round of 16, but not before competing in the NCAA Doubles Tournament at 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon with junior Kata Szekely. The duo faces third-seed Shinann Featherston and Lauren McHale of North Carolina.
Szekely and sophomore Brynn Boren were eliminated from the NCAA Singles Championship in Thursday's Round of 32. Szekely lost in straight sets to Georgia State's Abigail Tere-Apisah (19-1) 6-3, 6-4. Boren fell in a three and a half-hour match to Baylor's Nina Secerbegovic 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-4.
Szekely caps a fantastic singles season with a team-high 26 wins, while Boren was second on the team with 25 wins.