Vanderbilt University’s women’s tennis team secured two victories in its final nonconference matches of the 2026 season, defeating Xavier and Lipscomb at the Lummis Family Tennis Center on Friday.
The Commodores began the day with a rematch against Xavier, following their meeting in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Vanderbilt claimed the doubles point after wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. In singles play, sophomore Trinetra Vijayakumar won her match against Ellasyn Deford 6-1, 6-0, while freshman Erin Pearce defeated Clara Owen 6-4, 6-3 at No. 5 singles. Vanderbilt went on to win three of the four remaining singles matches to finish with a 6-1 victory over Xavier.
In their match against Lipscomb, Vanderbilt played outdoors for the first time this season at their newly renovated facility. Junior Valeria Ray and senior Bridget Stammel won at No. 2 doubles, marking their eighth consecutive victory as a pair. Freshmen Erin Pearce and Mia Yamakita clinched the doubles point for Vanderbilt by winning their match at No. 3 doubles. The Commodores have now captured six straight doubles points.
Pearce also won her singles match against Serafima Bobrovnikova with a score of 6-0, 6-1. At No. 1 singles, Célia-Belle Mohr earned a straight-set win over Sofiia Paladi (6-2, 6-2). Stammel secured Vanderbilt’s fifth consecutive overall win by defeating Deborah Dominguez Collado (6-3, 6-1). The team swept all remaining courts for a final score of 7-0 against Lipscomb.
Head coach Aleke Tsoubanos commented on playing at the new outdoor courts: “Today was an incredibly special day for our program as we competed for the first time on our brand new outdoor courts at the Lummis Family Tennis Center,” Tsoubanos said. “We truly believe this is one of the nicest outdoor tennis facilities in the country, and it was an amazing feeling to be back competing on our home courts. I’m especially happy for our upperclassmen to have the opportunity to compete on these courts again this spring. On behalf of our staff and student-athletes, I extend my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Candice Lee for her vision, leadership and commitment to making the Vanderbilt experience second to none. We are equally grateful to the Lummis Family and other benefactors, whose generous support turned that vision to reality.”
Tsoubanos added: “Ending our nonconference slate in a positive way with two victories made the day even more meaningful,” she concluded. “We can’t wait to host our first SEC matches here soon, and we look forward to welcoming our fans to enjoy this spectacular facility.”
With nonconference play complete, Vanderbilt will shift focus toward SEC competition beginning Sunday when they host Missouri at home.
