No. 7 Women's Tennis Takes Sole Possession of SEC Lead in Sweep of No. 9 Auburn

Friday, April 1

Bryan-College Station

5:00 PM

Texas A&M

Auburn

Photo by: Sydney Morriss/Texas A&M Athletics

Apr 01, 2022 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Nick Whitley, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 7 Texas A&M women's tennis team took sole possession of the top spot in the Southeastern Conference standings Friday evening, as the Aggies stormed past the No. 9 Auburn Tigers in a 7-0 result at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. The Maroon & White have defeated two consecutive top-10 opponents in a pair of complete-match shutouts; the first such performance in school history.

The Aggies historic march through the 2022 dual match season continues, as A&M climbs to a record-shattering 23-1 overall mark with a perfect 9-0 start to SEC play for the first time in program history. The only previous time the Maroon & White opened conference play with a 9-0 record was the 2004 Big 12 Championship team that advanced to the NCAA Round of 16. In defeat, Auburn suffers its first league loss and drops to 16-3 overall with a 7-1 SEC ledger.

A&M and Auburn went the distance in the doubles point, as the Tigers took the first match just before the Aggies roared back on courts two and three. Auburn struck first, as No. 22 Ariana Arseneault and Selin Ovunc toppled second-ranked Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Makarova in a 6-3 final. The Maroon & White mounted a comeback on court three, as Renee McBryde and Gianna Pielet defeated Carolyn Ansari and Madeline Meredith by a 6-4 margin.

The Aggies called on No. 22 Carson Branstine and Mary Stoiana to seal the early advantage, roaring past Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach by a 6-3 margin. Branstine's first serve from the ad court opened the door for Stoiana to put the match away with an overhead following Auburn's return. The victory marked the pairing's 13th win of the season and second consecutive.

Momentum carried forward for the Aggies into the singles competition, with the Maroon & White notching five-of-six first set victories early on. Pielet was first to finish, racing past Axon in a 6-1, 6-2 masterpiece to take a 2-0 team lead. Branstine, the nation's 23rd-ranked singles player, bested No. 65 Selin Ovunc in a 6-2, 6-1 performance. With the 3-0 lead in hand, A&M called on Katya Townsend to record her first clinch victory of the 2022 campaign, defeating Yu Chen in a 6-2, 7-5 result.

With the overall match in hand, Texas A&M tacked on a trio of insurance points to lock in the team's second consecutive top-10 shutout. No. 29 Makarova booked A&M's final straight set victory of the evening, defeating No. 59 Arseneault in a 6-4, 7-6(6) match to take a 5-0 lead. The Aggies lifted the lead to six following No. 93 Stoiana's 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph over No. 81 Ansari. Goldsmith recorded the final point in A&M's historic victory, securing a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Flach to give the Aggies yet another 7-0 win.

Makarova's perfect season in singles remains intact following Friday evening's result, as the All-American improves to 18-0 in the dual match slate. She stands as the sixth-winningest player in school history, having collected 95 career singles wins in Aggieland. Stoiana's grip on the Aggies singles lead continues, as the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week has won each of her last 11 matches while rising to 18-1 in dual match play through this part of the season. Stoiana, a native of Southbury, Connecticut, sees her career record against nationally-ranked opponents rise to 10-2 overall.

UP NEXT
No. 7 Texas A&M women's tennis prepares for its final home match of the 2022 regular season, as the Aggies host the Alabama Crimson Tide in a noon (CT) first serve Sunday afternoon at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. Texas A&M University will celebrate four seniors on the Aggie women's tennis team, with Isa Di Laura, Tatiana Makarova, Renee McBryde and Katya Townsend set to be honored after the match.

POSTMATCH QUOTES
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Weaver
On the team's effort against ninth-ranked Auburn…
"It was just another great performance by our team. I think that in doubles today, we didn't necessarily have our best showing. With that being said, any time you can get the doubles point over a top-10 opponent, you need to be somewhat pleased. We were able to come up with the big shots when we needed them. I think we could be a little bit sharper. With all of that said, I think it was an excellent performance by our group. We played six singles matches and won all six. Our team won 7-0. There are a lot of things to be proud of and excited about, but there is more work to be done. We have beaten two top-10 teams by 7-0 scores in consecutive matches. We're heading onward and upward and that's what we are all about. We want to keep getting better each and every match."

On the support from the 12th Man…
"I think that it was the best crowd that we had all year; they were very vocal. It is so fun to see the support we're getting from the community. When I'm going around town, people stop me all the time wishing our team luck. We're glad that so many people are proud of our team and that they continue to show their support for what's going on here."

Freshman Gianna Pielet
On playing doubles alongside Renee McBryde…
"Renee is an unbelievable doubles player, so it is super easy to play alongside her every day in practice and during our matches. It's so fun playing with somebody who hits the ball so hard. It gives me a ton of opportunities to be aggressive at the net and help secure points for our team. Renee and I have such great chemistry together, so I really enjoy playing with her."

On what was working in her straight-set singles win…
"It was really great to have the support of the crowd and my coaches today. I have been working really hard this week and I feel like my game is truly coming together. Seeing my teammates compete makes me want to give even more effort to try and win for them. I wanted to help our team and get my point extra early today. At the end of the day it paid off and we are in a great position as a team."

TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
#7 Texas A&M 7, #9 Auburn 0
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center – Bryan-College Station, Texas
SINGLES
1. #23 Carson Branstine (TAMU) def. #65 Selin Ovunc (AUB) 6-2, 6-1
2. #29 Tatiana Makarova (TAMU) def. #59 Ariana Arseneault (AUB) 6-4, 7-6(6)
3. #93 Mary Stoiana (TAMU) def. #81 Carolyn Ansari (AUB) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
4. Jayci Goldsmith (TAMU) def. Adeline Flach (AUB) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
5. Gianna Pielet (TAMU) def. Georgie Axon (AUB) 6-1, 6-2
6. Katya Townsend (TAMU) def. Yu Chen (AUB) 6-2, 7-5

DOUBLES
1. #22 Ariana Arseneault / Selin Ovunc (AUB) def. #2 Jayci Goldsmith / Tatiana Makarova (TAMU) 6-3
2. #48 Carson Branstine / Mary Stoiana (TAMU) def. Georgie Axon / Adeline Flach (AUB) 6-3
3. Renee McBryde / Gianna Pielet (TAMU) def. Carolyn Ansari / Madeline Meredith (AUB) 6-4

Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,1,6*,2,3,4)

POSTMATCH NOTES

Texas A&M's historic march through the 2022 dual match season continues, as the Aggies climb to a record-shattering 23-1 overall mark with a perfect 9-0 start to SEC play for the first time in program history.
The Aggies are the No. 7-ranked team in the nation according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and hold the No. 6 mark in the United States Tennis Association poll.
In defeat, Auburn suffers its first league loss and drops to 16-3 overall with a 7-1 SEC ledger.
The Tigers hold the No. 9 ranking per the ITA and are No. 11 in the USTA poll.
Following the 13th all-time meeting between the two programs, Texas A&M extends its series lead to 11-2 overall.
Head Coach Mark Weaver sees his career record in the Maroon & White improve to 133-56 overall since joining the program prior to the 2015-16 academic year.

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.