On the Plains with Ava Hrastar: "Keeping things in perspective"

After stints at Georgia Tech and Ole Miss, Ava Hrastar made the decision to use her final year of eligibility at Auburn with first-year head coach Jordan Szabo.

“What attracted me to Auburn was definitely coach Jordan (Szabo),” said Hrastar, a graduate student. “At the time, DJ (Bennett) and Angie (Okutoyi) weren't here during the summer, so I came on a visit with him, and I really liked the campus. It’s close to home, so I felt like it would be a good fit for me just to be here and be close to my family. I also knew the program was going to be really good under him, I liked my time talking with DJ and Angie over the phone and I loved this place so I think it made the decision pretty easy.”

Due to her years of experience, Hrastar was naturally in a position of leadership on a young team that features six freshmen. 

“I would say at first, it was definitely a new territory,” Hrastar said. “Being with a bunch of new girls, trying to get a feel for everyone's personality types and just the way we do things here, especially with a new coaching staff, was a challenge. I think it's been relatively easy to have a leadership role given that I am one of the older girls on the team, but DJ and Angie are great examples of people that can help lead our team as well. I think each of us has played our own role in trying to lead this team from a slightly different perspective. All of us together have made that process a lot easier rather than just me doing it alone.”

The Duluth, Georgia, native made her mark on the program record books just months into her tenure on the Plains. Hrastar and Bennett claimed the doubles title at the ITA Southern Regional Championships in October to punch their ticket to the NCAA Doubles Championship at the end of the fall season in Waco, Texas.

In the championship, the two became the second doubles team in program history to reach the NCAA Doubles Championship semifinal round, joining Pleun Burgmans and Emily Flickinger in 2014. The historic run earned her ITA Doubles All-American status for the second time in her career, with the other being from 2021 during her time at Georgia Tech. That time in Waco ranks high on Hrastar’s list of memories during her season at Auburn.

“I’d say my favorite memory is traveling to Waco, and the trips with the team in general,” she said. “Being able to spend time together off the court when we went to Los Angeles was one of my favorite weeks, too. I think the moments off the court are sometimes a lot more important than what’s on the court.”

Those off-court moments are what Hrastar will fondly remember.

“What I’ll miss the most are the relationships I have with the girls and the coaches,” she said. “Just seeing everyone every single day. I’m really going to miss connecting with people because I’m not going to have that team environment anymore or have a huge group that I can constantly rely on. It’s going to be an adjustment not having those people right next to me every single day.”

Szabo has impressed the college tennis world in his first season at the helm of the program, leading the team to 25 wins and an 11-4 record in SEC matches. Szabo also led the team to the fifth NCAA Super Regional appearance in program history in 2025. On top of his success on the court, Hrastar credits her coach with helping her personally as well.

“I would say that he's really helped me as like a player and as a person,” Hrastar said. “We're very close, and I don't think I could have asked for a better last year. I know that I'll have Coach Szabo in my corner for the rest of my life. Whether I'm coming back here or living far away, he's always going to be in my corner.

“He's also taught me a lot about perspective and not letting the highs be too high and the lows too low, which is something he says all the time. I really love that about him, and I feel like such a good connection and relationship with him and with Pete (Francis) and Valeriya (Zeleva) too. Without the three of them, I don't think I would feel as good as I do right now in terms of my mentality and my tennis.”

Perspective has been a recurring theme for the Auburn graduate student throughout her collegiate career. Although Hrastar has accumulated over 70 singles wins and over 65 doubles victories in her career, the real victories have come through her impact on others.

“I think my collegiate career has taught me a lot in terms of just keeping things in perspective,” said the Auburn graduate student. “I've had a lot of different injuries and ailments throughout the years, but it's really helped me be more mentally tough and to also take care of myself, both physically and mentally. I’ve also learned to focus on the relationships that I have and realizing how important it is to connect with people and have a good impact and impression on others.”