
Photo by: Craig Bisacre
No. 17 Women’s Tennis Faces Off Against No. 20 Auburn
Mar 31, 2021 | Women's Tennis
AUBURN, Ala. – Looking for its third-straight SEC ranked victory, No. 17 Texas A&M women's tennis gets set for the first half of its road trip through the Yellowhammer State, as the Aggies take on the No. 20 Auburn Tigers in a 3 p.m. first serve from the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
"Auburn has had an excellent year so far and have played at a high level all throughout the season," head coach Mark Weaver remarked. "On our end, we are coming off of our two best performances of the season on the road against Vanderbilt, then again back home against LSU. Tomorrow's conditions will definitely play a big factor in the match with chilly temperatures and high winds, so we need to continue on our course of being mentally tough and get ready for another battle."
The latest Oracle ITA Women's Team Rankings featured nine Southeastern Conference programs, with the Aggies (12-4, 4-2 SEC) vaulting three spots to the No. 17 position nationally. A&M currently stands as the fourth-highest ranked team in the league, just behind Georgia (No. 3), LSU (No. 14) and Florida (No. 15). In the singles poll, Tatiana Makarova surged 30 spots and placed as the No. 22 player in the country and the fourth-highest ranked singles player in the SEC. Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith improved to No. 44 in doubles, while the pairing of Makarova and Jessica Anzo polled at No. 70.
A&M's most recent outings saw the team grab a pair of ranked wins against SEC opponents, with the Maroon & White beating then-No. 14 Vanderbilt on the road in Nashville followed by a 4-0 sweep of No. 12 LSU back home in Aggieland. In singles play, Texas A&M is led by Makarova and Dorthea Faa-Hviding, who have each reached double-digit singles victories since the start of dual match action. The Moscow, Russia native, Makarova boasts a 19-5 overall record with an 11-3 singles mark in dual matches. Faa-Hviding stands at an unblemished 10-0, winning at least one match in four different positions. The pairing of Makarova and Goldsmith continue to lead the way in doubles, compiling a 13-6 overall record to go along with two straight wins over ranked duos.
Under the guidance of second-year head coach Caroline Lilley, the Auburn Tigers enter Thursday's matchup with a 12-3 overall record and an impressive 7-2 mark in the SEC regular season. The squad is led by a pair of double-digit dual match singles winners in Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach, who each typically perform in the latter half of the Tigers lineup. No. 62 Selin Ovunc has started at the No. 1 line all season for the Tigers and holds an even 6-6 record with three matches unfinished. In doubles play, Auburn is led by the No. 13 duo of Ovunc and Taylor Russo.
This will be the 11th meeting between Texas A&M and Auburn in women's tennis, with the Aggies managing a comfortable 8-2 lead in the all-time series. Since the Maroon & White migrated to the Southeastern Conference in the 2012-13 season, the Aggies have won six matches including the most recent battle between the two schools during the 2019 campaign.
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.
"Auburn has had an excellent year so far and have played at a high level all throughout the season," head coach Mark Weaver remarked. "On our end, we are coming off of our two best performances of the season on the road against Vanderbilt, then again back home against LSU. Tomorrow's conditions will definitely play a big factor in the match with chilly temperatures and high winds, so we need to continue on our course of being mentally tough and get ready for another battle."
The latest Oracle ITA Women's Team Rankings featured nine Southeastern Conference programs, with the Aggies (12-4, 4-2 SEC) vaulting three spots to the No. 17 position nationally. A&M currently stands as the fourth-highest ranked team in the league, just behind Georgia (No. 3), LSU (No. 14) and Florida (No. 15). In the singles poll, Tatiana Makarova surged 30 spots and placed as the No. 22 player in the country and the fourth-highest ranked singles player in the SEC. Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith improved to No. 44 in doubles, while the pairing of Makarova and Jessica Anzo polled at No. 70.
A&M's most recent outings saw the team grab a pair of ranked wins against SEC opponents, with the Maroon & White beating then-No. 14 Vanderbilt on the road in Nashville followed by a 4-0 sweep of No. 12 LSU back home in Aggieland. In singles play, Texas A&M is led by Makarova and Dorthea Faa-Hviding, who have each reached double-digit singles victories since the start of dual match action. The Moscow, Russia native, Makarova boasts a 19-5 overall record with an 11-3 singles mark in dual matches. Faa-Hviding stands at an unblemished 10-0, winning at least one match in four different positions. The pairing of Makarova and Goldsmith continue to lead the way in doubles, compiling a 13-6 overall record to go along with two straight wins over ranked duos.
Under the guidance of second-year head coach Caroline Lilley, the Auburn Tigers enter Thursday's matchup with a 12-3 overall record and an impressive 7-2 mark in the SEC regular season. The squad is led by a pair of double-digit dual match singles winners in Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach, who each typically perform in the latter half of the Tigers lineup. No. 62 Selin Ovunc has started at the No. 1 line all season for the Tigers and holds an even 6-6 record with three matches unfinished. In doubles play, Auburn is led by the No. 13 duo of Ovunc and Taylor Russo.
This will be the 11th meeting between Texas A&M and Auburn in women's tennis, with the Aggies managing a comfortable 8-2 lead in the all-time series. Since the Maroon & White migrated to the Southeastern Conference in the 2012-13 season, the Aggies have won six matches including the most recent battle between the two schools during the 2019 campaign.
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.
Players Mentioned
Georgia Postgame: Mark Weaver, Mary Stoiana, Mia Kupres
Sunday, May 18
Michigan Postgame: Mark Weaver, Nicole Khirin, Lexington Reed
Saturday, May 17
NCAA Team Championship Preview: Daria Smetannikov
Monday, May 12
NCAA Team Championship Preview: Mia Kupres
Monday, May 12


















