COLUMBIA, S.C. – After a one-week break from action, Texas A&M women's tennis heads to the Palmetto State, as the Aggies (8-2) visit the South Carolina Gamecocks (4-5, 1-1 SEC) in an 8 a.m. (CT) first serve from the Carolina Tennis Center.
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"Our group is eager and excited to open SEC play this weekend," head coach Mark Weaver explained. "South Carolina is a powerhouse program, and we will need to bring it from start to finish in this match. They have had a bit of a slow start to the season, but this team is very talented and has had a lot of success with each of their current players. We have had some of our best practices of the season over the last week, and we have put ourselves in a good position to succeed this weekend."
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The latest rendition of the Oracle ITA Women's Team rankings saw the Aggies come in at the No. 22 position following the week off. The Aggies were one of seven Southeastern Conference teams that received recognition this week, and three additional SEC teams, including South Carolina, received votes. North Carolina earned the unanimous No. 1 selection, followed by Texas and SEC-rival Georgia at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
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Dealing with winter weather was the primary task of the Texas A&M team in their last two matches, as the Aggies battled with the Utah Utes in Aggieland on Feb. 12 before traveling to Houston to take on the McNeese Cowgirls indoors on Valentine's Day. Each match resulted in a 7-0 team victory for the Aggies despite frigid temperatures and afforded eight-of-nine student athletes with at least one singles victory. Three members of the A&M roster have already surpassed the 10-win mark in singles this season, with the ITA No. 64 ranked Tatiana Makarova being joined by Katya Townsend and Riley McQuaid. A&M's primary doubles team of Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith will headline the doubles competition this weekend.
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In his ninth season at the helm in South Carolina, Kevin Epley's squad retained the vast majority of its talent from the abbreviated 2020 campaign, in which they finished 8-4. The Gamecocks are off to an uncharacteristically slow start this season, sitting one match below .500 with a 4-5 record. Graduate Mia Horvit and senior Megan Davies are expected to earn the start in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles lines and are likely to team up together at the No. 1 doubles position. Horvit, Silvia Chinellato and Emma Shelton are each tied for the team-high in singles victories with six apiece.Â
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Since the Maroon & White joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012-13, the series between the Aggies and Gamecocks is tied 4-4. The series is also evenly split in Columbia during that period, with each team winning two matches apiece at the Carolina Tennis Center.
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FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN.
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"Our group is eager and excited to open SEC play this weekend," head coach Mark Weaver explained. "South Carolina is a powerhouse program, and we will need to bring it from start to finish in this match. They have had a bit of a slow start to the season, but this team is very talented and has had a lot of success with each of their current players. We have had some of our best practices of the season over the last week, and we have put ourselves in a good position to succeed this weekend."
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The latest rendition of the Oracle ITA Women's Team rankings saw the Aggies come in at the No. 22 position following the week off. The Aggies were one of seven Southeastern Conference teams that received recognition this week, and three additional SEC teams, including South Carolina, received votes. North Carolina earned the unanimous No. 1 selection, followed by Texas and SEC-rival Georgia at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
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Dealing with winter weather was the primary task of the Texas A&M team in their last two matches, as the Aggies battled with the Utah Utes in Aggieland on Feb. 12 before traveling to Houston to take on the McNeese Cowgirls indoors on Valentine's Day. Each match resulted in a 7-0 team victory for the Aggies despite frigid temperatures and afforded eight-of-nine student athletes with at least one singles victory. Three members of the A&M roster have already surpassed the 10-win mark in singles this season, with the ITA No. 64 ranked Tatiana Makarova being joined by Katya Townsend and Riley McQuaid. A&M's primary doubles team of Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith will headline the doubles competition this weekend.
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In his ninth season at the helm in South Carolina, Kevin Epley's squad retained the vast majority of its talent from the abbreviated 2020 campaign, in which they finished 8-4. The Gamecocks are off to an uncharacteristically slow start this season, sitting one match below .500 with a 4-5 record. Graduate Mia Horvit and senior Megan Davies are expected to earn the start in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles lines and are likely to team up together at the No. 1 doubles position. Horvit, Silvia Chinellato and Emma Shelton are each tied for the team-high in singles victories with six apiece.Â
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Since the Maroon & White joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012-13, the series between the Aggies and Gamecocks is tied 4-4. The series is also evenly split in Columbia during that period, with each team winning two matches apiece at the Carolina Tennis Center.
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FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN.