Sunday, May 16
Orlando, Fla.
12:00 PM
Texas A&M
vs
Florida State
Photo by: Craig Bisacre
No. 10 Women’s Tennis Challenges No. 7 Florida State in Sweet Sixteen
May 15, 2021 | Women's Tennis
ORLANDO, Fla. – For the second time in the last three seasons and the seventh time in program history, the No. 10-seeded Texas A&M women's tennis team gears up for a Round of 16 matchup in the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships, as the Aggies challenge the No. 7-seeded Florida State Seminoles in a 12 p.m. (CT) first serve on Sunday from the USTA National Campus Collegiate Complex.
Fans interested in following along with Sunday afternoon's match, as well as all of the matches in the NCAA Tennis Championships are encouraged to click here to download the TennisONE app. In collaboration with the NCAA, TennisONE will offer live streaming and scoring from every match at the USTA National Campus. For more information, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Texas A&M's NCAA Tournament experience, be sure to follow the Aggies on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN.
"The Aggies are excited and ready to compete on Sunday against a very good Florida State team," head coach Mark Weaver expressed. "There is a lot of excitement in the air, and you can really see it in the girls faces during our practices. We have been competing at a very high level ever since we arrived in Orlando, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the competitive spirit in practice translates to the matches. The USTA National Campus is a state-of-the-art facility, and the NCAA has done a spectacular job getting things ready for this year's Sweet 16. Our team can't wait to get things started."
In a year unlike any other, the Maroon & White have racked up a litany of accomplishments, featuring a 21-7 overall record coupled with an 8-4 mark against opponents ranked in the Oracle ITA Women's Team Rankings. A&M's 9-4 finish against teams from the Southeastern Conference saw the Aggies earn the No. 3 spot in the league table marking the highest conference finish since Weaver was hired in 2015-16. Texas A&M's team also made history at the 2021 SEC Women's Tennis Championships, advancing to the conference title match for the first time since the Aggies migrated to the league in the 2012-13 campaign. In the process, A&M achieved its highest team ranking since the 2016 season, peaking at the No. 10 spot just before the start of this year's NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies then traveled to Evanston, Illinois, to take part in the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Championships, starting with a dominant 4-0 performance against the Drake Bulldogs. A&M opened the match with a strong showing in doubles and capitalized on the top three singles courts in straight sets to secure a second round berth. Then, Texas A&M faced off against the host-Northwestern Wildcats, surging back from an 0-2 deficit to take the 4-2 victory and advance to the Round of 16. Northwestern seized the doubles point and grabbed a win in No. 4 singles to take the early advantage, but clutch performances at the top of the Aggie singles lineup as well as a domineering win at the No. 6 line saw A&M punch its ticket to Orlando.
Individually, the Maroon & White are led by the trio of Tatiana Makarova, Jayci Goldsmith and Katya Townsend, who have each surpassed the 15-win threshold in singles this year. The Moscow, Russia, native Makarova ranks as the No. 25 singles player in women's college tennis according to the latest ITA rankings and maintains a team-best overall record of 25-6. Goldsmith, a native of Dripping Springs, Texas, is 15-10 overall this season and has defeated five ranked singles opponents. Meanwhile, the Coconut Creek, Florida, native Townsend holds a 20-9 singles record and is responsible for the clinch victory in both of A&M's opening round matches in the NCAA Tournament. At the No. 1 doubles slot, Makarova and Goldsmith have teamed up for an 18-10 overall record including six wins against ranked opposition, placing the duo as the No. 20 team in the nation.
Led by 17-year veteran head coach Jennifer Hyde, the Florida State Seminoles enter Sunday's Sweet 16 bout as the No. 7 team in the nation, boasting an 18-5 overall record. The team is headlined by the nation's No. 12 ranked singles player in Giulia Pairone, who is 11-8 in the dual match campaign and has an 8-7 record against ranked singles opposition. Victoria Allen and Petra Hule are each riding eight-match singles win streaks, while Andrea Garcia is the Seminoles only player that has surpassed 20 wins this year.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, has advanced to the Sweet 16 three times since Weaver ascended to the head coaching position, with all three berths secured away from A&M's home courts at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. In the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies hold a 29-25 overall record, making their sixth appearance in the Round of 16 in the last eight years. Since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012-13, A&M boasts a 17-7 record in the big dance, advancing past the Sweet 16 on one prior occasion. This will be the first postseason meeting between the Aggies and Seminoles in women's tennis.
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.
Fans interested in following along with Sunday afternoon's match, as well as all of the matches in the NCAA Tennis Championships are encouraged to click here to download the TennisONE app. In collaboration with the NCAA, TennisONE will offer live streaming and scoring from every match at the USTA National Campus. For more information, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Texas A&M's NCAA Tournament experience, be sure to follow the Aggies on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN.
"The Aggies are excited and ready to compete on Sunday against a very good Florida State team," head coach Mark Weaver expressed. "There is a lot of excitement in the air, and you can really see it in the girls faces during our practices. We have been competing at a very high level ever since we arrived in Orlando, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the competitive spirit in practice translates to the matches. The USTA National Campus is a state-of-the-art facility, and the NCAA has done a spectacular job getting things ready for this year's Sweet 16. Our team can't wait to get things started."
In a year unlike any other, the Maroon & White have racked up a litany of accomplishments, featuring a 21-7 overall record coupled with an 8-4 mark against opponents ranked in the Oracle ITA Women's Team Rankings. A&M's 9-4 finish against teams from the Southeastern Conference saw the Aggies earn the No. 3 spot in the league table marking the highest conference finish since Weaver was hired in 2015-16. Texas A&M's team also made history at the 2021 SEC Women's Tennis Championships, advancing to the conference title match for the first time since the Aggies migrated to the league in the 2012-13 campaign. In the process, A&M achieved its highest team ranking since the 2016 season, peaking at the No. 10 spot just before the start of this year's NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies then traveled to Evanston, Illinois, to take part in the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Championships, starting with a dominant 4-0 performance against the Drake Bulldogs. A&M opened the match with a strong showing in doubles and capitalized on the top three singles courts in straight sets to secure a second round berth. Then, Texas A&M faced off against the host-Northwestern Wildcats, surging back from an 0-2 deficit to take the 4-2 victory and advance to the Round of 16. Northwestern seized the doubles point and grabbed a win in No. 4 singles to take the early advantage, but clutch performances at the top of the Aggie singles lineup as well as a domineering win at the No. 6 line saw A&M punch its ticket to Orlando.
Individually, the Maroon & White are led by the trio of Tatiana Makarova, Jayci Goldsmith and Katya Townsend, who have each surpassed the 15-win threshold in singles this year. The Moscow, Russia, native Makarova ranks as the No. 25 singles player in women's college tennis according to the latest ITA rankings and maintains a team-best overall record of 25-6. Goldsmith, a native of Dripping Springs, Texas, is 15-10 overall this season and has defeated five ranked singles opponents. Meanwhile, the Coconut Creek, Florida, native Townsend holds a 20-9 singles record and is responsible for the clinch victory in both of A&M's opening round matches in the NCAA Tournament. At the No. 1 doubles slot, Makarova and Goldsmith have teamed up for an 18-10 overall record including six wins against ranked opposition, placing the duo as the No. 20 team in the nation.
Led by 17-year veteran head coach Jennifer Hyde, the Florida State Seminoles enter Sunday's Sweet 16 bout as the No. 7 team in the nation, boasting an 18-5 overall record. The team is headlined by the nation's No. 12 ranked singles player in Giulia Pairone, who is 11-8 in the dual match campaign and has an 8-7 record against ranked singles opposition. Victoria Allen and Petra Hule are each riding eight-match singles win streaks, while Andrea Garcia is the Seminoles only player that has surpassed 20 wins this year.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, has advanced to the Sweet 16 three times since Weaver ascended to the head coaching position, with all three berths secured away from A&M's home courts at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. In the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies hold a 29-25 overall record, making their sixth appearance in the Round of 16 in the last eight years. Since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012-13, A&M boasts a 17-7 record in the big dance, advancing past the Sweet 16 on one prior occasion. This will be the first postseason meeting between the Aggies and Seminoles in women's tennis.
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
