Lady Vols tennis has visions of bigger, better NCAA run

Caitlin Whoriskey has gotten a little taste of NCAA pressure as a freshman and a sophomore.

She wants more than just a sip or a nibble this time around.

The University of Tennessee junior leads a young Lady Vols' tennis team into its fall season with visions of bigger and better things by the time spring rolls around.

"Last year my goal was to get into both the NCAA singles and the doubles," Whoriskey said. "I was happy when I got in, but then it was like I wasn't sure what to expect.

"Now I know what it's going to take to get back and do well when I get there."

Whoriskey and the Lady Vols open their fall season Friday through Sunday at the University of Virginia Invitational.

It's the first step to what coach Mike Patrick hopes is UT's 15th consecutive NCAA bid in the spring.

"We made the Sweet 16 for a few years in a row and we've made it to the second round the last couple, but I'd like to get back to the Sweet 16 or better," Patrick said. "This team has the potential to do that.

"We have talent. We need a lot of matches, but the potential is really good if we stay healthy. We can compete with the best of them and it's going to be a lot of fun."

It starts with Whoriskey.

The native of East Sandwich, Mass., goes into the fall season ranked No. 37 nationally in singles and No. 33 in doubles paired with first-year player Maria Sorbello of Australia.

Patrick's doubles strategy this season included splitting up last year's nationally-ranked doubles duo of Whoriskey and Zsofia Zubor, a junior from Hungary.

Zubor will be paired with freshman Natalie Pluskota at No. 2.

"We think this will give us two really good teams - maybe three - instead of just one," Patrick said. "We'll have experience on both teams and first-year players matched up with that experience. Hopefully they can convey some of the things they went through last year."

Sophomores Rosalia Alda and Jennifer Meredith pair up at No. 3.

"It's a fun thing because we've got six good doubles players," Patrick said. "It's rare that any college team has as good a talent at all those spots."

The transition from Zubor to Sorbello has been a comfortable one for Whoriskey.

"So far we've been doing everything right," she said. "In practice, we've been giving each other challenges instead of a bunch of blowouts.

"It's going to be difficult for teams to win the doubles point against us. We're very competitive with our lineup and it's going to put a lot of pressure on other teams. We'll challenge them in every match."