MIKE PATRICK ON ROBARDS: “Ashley has been hampered this fall by injury but hopefully will be back to finish out her career. She is very talented and won some clutch matches for us over her time here, including the deciding match to put us into the round of 16 last year. She has a lot of potential and can play with the best players in the country. Ashley has good foot speed, can really cover the court and hits a real heavy ball off of both sides.”
SENIOR (FALL 2004): Won the first flight of doubles at the St. Mary’s Fall Classic in doubles...Paired with Sabita Maharaj, the duo topped Nandita Chandrasekar and Agustina Arechavalet of North Carolina State, 8-0...The two also knocked off Purdue’s Lara Burgarello and Alyssa Rodriguez, 8-4, and No. 48 Karin Coetzee and Ashlee Davis of Wake Forest, 8-4, to earn the title.
JUNIOR (2003-04): In Tennessee’s 4-3 victory over North Carolina in the Round of 32, Robards dropped the first set to UNC’s Caitlin Collins, 4-6, before battling back to claim the next two sets, 6-4, 6-3...The victory earned the Lady Vols to their eighth consecutive appearance in the Sweet 16...Teamed with Breanna Kray, Robards also provided the critical win at the No. 2 position against the Tar Heels to clinch the doubles point... Robards teamed with Sabita Maharaj to two victories over ranked tandems: a 9-7 win over No. 41 Kendall Cline and Aniela Mojzis of North Carolina on Jan. 18 and an 8-6 win over No. 47 Jitka Schonfeldova and Evgenia Subbotina of Georgia on April 10...Robards owned a 21-16 mark in tandem play and provided the doubles-point-clinching win five times...Showed her potential to compete with elite players, defeating three ranked foes during the fall season...Started the year by winning flight No. 2 of the St. Mary’s Fall Classic, posting triumphs over No. 81 Katie Martzolf of Wake Forest and No. 99 Kendall Cline of North Carolina...Notched perhaps her biggest win of the fall with a 6-2, 6-4 defeat of No. 42 Jessica Rush from Northwestern at the adidas Invitational in Peachtree City, Ga...Ended the fall with a 4-3 singles mark...Made a strong showing in doubles as well, compiling a 7-4 record...Picked up two wins and reached the doubles flight No. 2 finals of the St. Mary’s Classic with partner Breanna Kray...Teamed with Victoria Jones to record three victories at the adidas Invitational...Closed the fall with two more wins at the ITA Regional Championships, this time paired with Sabita Maharaj...Named to the academic all-SEC team and the Lady Vol Honor Roll.
SOPHOMORE (2002-03): Compiled an impressive singles record of 16-6 in dual matches, playing at the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots...Posted nine straight victories between March 7-30...During that stretch, registered her first triumph over a ranked opponent by downing No. 62 Katie Blaszak of Duke on March 23...Tied for second on the team with Vilmarie Castellvi and Sabita Maharaj by notching four match-clinching wins…Owned an overall singles record of 21-13, when including a 5-7 mark during the fall...Reached the semifinals at the SEC Coaches Tournament in November by recording straight-set wins over Natalie McElveen of Alabama and Auburn’s Liz Sauerborn…Amassed a doubles record of 16-2 with Crystal Cleveland, including a 7-1 mark in dual matches...Finished the season ranked No. 54 in doubles with Cleveland...The duo also posted a 9-1 mark in tournament play during the fall, bringing home tourney titles at St. Mary’s Fall Classic and the SEC Coaches Tournament...Paired up with Melissa Schaub at the June Stewart Invitational, notching a 2-1 record.
FRESHMAN (2001-02): Gave an impressive showing in her rookie campaign as a Lady Vol…Finished 25-14 in singles with a 12-7 dual match record…Saw most of her action during the spring at the No. 6 spot with a 10-4 mark…Finished 1-1 and 1-2 at four and five singles…After a shaky 2-4 start in dual match play, Robards chalked up eight victories in a row from March 8 to April 5…Robards was 2-0 at the No. 6 slot during the NCAA Tournament, picking up key victories against Vanderbilt and Virginia Commonwealth during UT’s run to the Final Four…Saw limited time at doubles, compiling an overall record of 7-10…Teamed with Brooke Cordell, Kim Gates, Majen Immink and Kray for doubles…Was 4-0 with Immink…Started her UT career with a 13-7 record in the fall…Won the first tournament in which she participated, the St. Mary’s Fall Classic, by defeating North Carolina’s Cline, 0-6, 7-5, 6-4, for the flight seven crown…Claimed her second tournament title at the June Stewart Invitational, upending Megan Marton of Penn State in flight six, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1…Was named to the Lady Vol Honor Roll for her academic success.
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned seven varsity letters in tennis and spent two years as team captain…Reigned as state singles champion in 1998 and 1999…Earned all-state first team recognition from 1997-2000…Named the Tri-State Player of the Year in 2000…Had a stretch of three years when she had only one loss.
PERSONAL: Robards is pursuing a degree in English…Aspires to become an athletic administrator and tennis coach…Lists her hobbies as hanging out with friends and watching movies…Says she got her love of sports from her father…Has one sister, Whitney, 19…Ashley Brooke Robards was born on Dec. 29, 1982, in Owensboro, Ky…Is the daughter of Jeffrey and Cindy Robards.
