No. 12 Texas A&M Heads to Rocky Top for Match with Tennessee

Friday, March 25

Knoxville, Tenn.

11:00 AM

Texas A&M

Tennessee

Photo by: Kate Luffman/Texas A&M Athletics

Mar 24, 2022 | Women's Tennis

Watch Live Live Stats SEC Tennis RedZone Texas A&M Notes

By: Nick Whitley, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 12 Texas A&M women's tennis heads up to Rocky Top on Friday, as the Aggies face off with the Tennessee Lady Vols in an 11 a.m. (CT) first serve from Barksdale Stadium.

HEAD COACH MARK WEAVER SAID…
"We are excited for the challenge of playing a top-25 caliber team on the road in the middle of SEC play. We have had some great practices here at Rocky Top and our group feels properly prepared to perform at a high level on Friday. Our team is off to one of its best starts in quite some time, and it is important to each and every one of us that we continue to do our absolute best going forward. This is an important opportunity, and our group is ready to go."

FIRST SERVE
The Maroon & White head to the Blue Ridge Mountains boasting both the best record and longest win streak in the Southeastern Conference, coming in at 20-1 having won each of their last 11 matches. A&M owns a stellar 6-0 record in league play, tied for first place atop the SEC standings with their fellow undefeated counterparts in Auburn and Georgia. The last time the Aggies started SEC play with a 6-0 ledger, they went on to claim a share of the regular season conference championship in 2013 that ultimately propelled the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Championship match.

A&M's most recent outings saw the team roar past both Vanderbilt and Kentucky in the friendly confines of the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. The pair of wins helped push the Aggies to a perfect 16-0 record in home matches this season. Texas A&M has not lost in the Brazos Valley since dropping a 5-2 decision to the Baylor Bears on Feb. 7, 2021.

IN THE RANKINGS
In the latest ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point, released on Mar. 23, Texas A&M came in at No. 12. The Aggies are joined in the poll by fellow-SEC members Georgia (No. 7), Auburn (No. 8) and Florida (No. 16). The Maroon & White ranked eighth in the Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top-25. In Wednesday's individual ITA rankings, A&M's headline doubles team of Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Makarova tied their program record doubles ranking, once again garnering the No. 2 spot while Carson Branstine and Mary Stoiana came in at No. 48. In singles, Branstine surged to a career-best No. 23 ranking, Makarova climbed to No. 29 and Stoiana appeared at No. 93.

#LOCKEDIN ON TENNESSEE
Tennessee enters Friday afternoon's contest boasting an 8-5 overall record with a 2-3 start to Southeastern Conference play. The Lady Vols are currently 2-1 in home league matches. Tennessee is under the direction of former Texas A&M assistant coach and ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year Alison Ojeda, who worked under Aggie legend Bobby Kleinecke from 2002-04. Individually, Tenika McGiffin leads the team at the top-line singles position with a 3-3 record in the dual match campaign this season. A&M leads the all-time series with Tennessee by a 10-7 margin, having won eight-of-nine contests since joining the SEC in the 2013 dual match season.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's match will feature live video and live scoring for fans around the world, courtesy of the University of Tennessee. Live video is available by clicking here, while live stats are provided to fans here. Any Aggie fans in East Tennessee are invited to attend the match at Barksdale Stadium, with free general admission seating available in the main grandstand for all guests.

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.