AUBURN, Ala. – No. 9 Auburn dominated its first round match of the NCAA Championship on Friday afternoon, defeating the regional 4-seed South Carolina State by a 4-0 score at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama. The Tigers will face No. 24 Wisconsin, who outlasted Clemson 4-3 in its opening round match on Friday, in the second round of the championship on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
“First of all, congratulations to Coach Judge and South Carolina State on a great year, winning their conference and making the NCAA Championship,” said Auburn head coach Jordan Szabo. “They were champions this year and they made us earn it today. I thought we did what we needed to do out there. We got better as the match went on. We haven't played a match in nearly two weeks, so to get back out in the competitive environment was great. We've been working really hard, and now it's time to lay it on the line during the matches. The girls that were challenged, they got better as the match went on and it was definitely a good performance for us.”
Auburn Angella Okutoyi and Merna Refaat set the tone early in doubles, earning a 6-0 shutout win at the No. 2 position for their 20th win together this season. With the match tied at one, Auburn’s Ava Esposito and Maria Garcia won each of the next five games to claim the match at the No. 3 position 6-1 and clinch the doubles point for the Tigers.
Ava Esposito and Maria Garcia clinch the doubles point for the Tigers 👊#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/zegdh9mRFL
— Auburn Women's Tennis (@AuburnWTennis) May 2, 2025
In singles, Auburn continued its momentum by claiming the first set on five courts. Ava Hrastar then claimed the first singles point for the Tigers on court three by defeating Nalanda Teixeria 6-1, 6-1.
At the No. 4 singles position, Refaat did not allow a game in her opening set to Ashikha Amalnathan. The Auburn junior continued that momentum into her second set by winning each of the first five games before ultimately winning the match 6-0, 6-1 to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
On court six, Auburn’s Alice Battesti also started her match hot against Valeria Teran, winning it 6-0. Battesti then allowed just one game in the second set to win 6-0, 6-1 and clinch the match win for Auburn. With the win, Battesti’s singles record improves to 19-14 overall this season and 13-6 in dual matches.
“Wisconsin and Clemson had a battle, and Wisconsin is going to be battle tested,” continued Szabo. “We need a big Auburn crowd tomorrow to help us get over the line. Whether we play inside or outside, we're prepared for both. We've played a lot of both this year, so we're excited for the opportunity to compete again tomorrow. If we can bring our best tennis, we'll be moving good shape.”
Auburn and Wisconsin will face off for a spot in the NCAA Super Regional round on Saturday. If Auburn advances, it would mark the program’s fifth Super Regional in program history.
Admission to the NCAA Round of 32 match at the Yarbrough Tennis Center will be free for fans, and more spectator information is available on the Regional Central page. Live video and live scoring of the match will be available at AuburnTigers.com
#9 Auburn 4, South Carolina State 0
Singles Results:
- #4 DJ Bennett (AUB) vs. Soyfa Chursina (SCST) 6-1, 5-2, unfinished
- #53 Angella Okutoyi (AUB) vs. Hind Semlali (SCST) 6-3, 1-3, unfinished
- #57 Ava Hrastar (AUB) def. Nalanda Teixeria (SCST) 6-1, 6-1
- #64 Merna Refaat (AUB) def. Ashikha Amalnathan (SCST) 6-0, 6-1
- Ava Esposito (AUB) vs. Teodora Vujicic (SCST) 3-6, 3-1, unfinished
- Alice Battesti (AUB) def. Valeria Teran (SCST) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles Results:
- #13 DJ Bennett/Ava Hrastar (AUB) vs. Soyfa Chursina/Hind Semlali (SCST) 3-2, unfinished
- #46 Angella Okutoyi/Merna Refaat (AUB) def. Nalanda Teixeria/Teodora Vujicic (SCST) 6-0
- Ava Esposito/Maria Garcia (AUB) def. Ashikha Amalnathan/Valeria Teran (SCST) 6-1
Time of match: 1:33; Order of finish: Doubles: 2,3; Singles: 3,4,6; Official: Donna Jerome