Feb. 17, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 13 Auburn women's tennis team swept both Michigan State and Samford 4-0 in a doubleheader at home in the Yarbrough Tennis Center on Saturday.
Doubles against Michigan State came down to the wire. No. 49 Jaeda Daniel and Madeline Meredith got things started for Auburn with a 6-2 win over Michigan State's Ava Thielman and Lexi Baylison on court three. Michigan State's Emily Metcalf and Davina Nguyen evened the tally with a 7-5 win over Auburn's No. 47 ranked tandem of Taylor Russo and Alizee Michaud on court one. In dramatic fashion, Auburn clinched the match with a 7-6 (3) tiebreaker set win from Caroline Turner and Georgie Axon over Michigan State's Habiba Shaker and Sara Kuuttila on court two.
"Our goal was to come out with good energy," said coach Lauren Spencer. "We wanted to control every court and play our game style. We put out a couple of different doubles teams today, so we really wanted to focus on starting the match off right by winning the doubles point. I was really proud that we got two doubles points in today."
In singles, Auburn began to take control of the match. Madeline Meredith claimed the first singles point of the match with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Michigan State's Davina Nguyen on court five. Alizee Michaud followed that with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Michigan State's Habiba Shaker on court two to put Auburn up 3-0. Georgie Axon clinched the match point for the Tigers with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Michigan State's Samantha Memije on court six.
Against Samford, the Tigers took care of business in doubles. Jaeda Daniel and Mary Katherine Lewis notched a 6-2 win over Samford's Arianna Beltrame and Grace Jennings on court three to give Auburn the advantage. Georgie Axon and Caroline Turner clinched the point for the Tigers as they defeated Samford's Holly Horsfall and Elsa Pool 6-2 on court two.
In singles, Auburn finished the way they started. Freshman Madeline Meredith earned the first singles point with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Samford's Elsa Pool on court four. Fellow freshman No. 49 Jaeda Daniel kept the momentum going and put Auburn up 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Samford's Roos van der Zwaan on court one. No. 86 Taylor Russo clinched the match for the Tigers with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Samford's Ellie Gerlach.
"Both Michigan State and Samford are good, scrappy teams. That's the first time we've been outdoors the entire year, so the win was exactly how we needed it to be," said Spencer. "It was really scrappy, and I think our girls adjusted really well in the wind. It was tough tennis because it wasn't pretty. You have to have grit and determination. You can't get upset over small things. You just have to grind it out, and I think our girls did that."
The Tigers' next action will be in Montgomery on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24 for the Blue Gray Championships.
#13 Auburn 4, Michigan State Women's Tennis 0
Singles
1. #49 Jaeda Daniel (AUBURN) vs. Aslina Chua (MICHSU) 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
2. Alizee Michaud (AUBURN) def. Habiba Shaker (MICHSU) 6-2, 6-2
3. #86 Taylor Russo (AUBURN) vs. Sara Kuuttila (MICHSU) 6-4, 5-3, unfinished
4. Andie Dikosavljevic (AUBURN) vs. Emily Metcalf (MICHSU) 1-6, 6-1, 4-2, unfinished
5. Madeline Meredith (AUBURN) def. Davina Nguyen (MICHSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Georgie Axon (AUBURN) def. Samantha Memije (MICHSU) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
1. Emily Metcalf/Davina Nguyen (MICHSU) def. #47 Taylor Russo/Alizee Michaud (AUBURN) 7-5
2. Caroline Turner/Georgie Axon (AUBURN) def. Habiba Shaker/Sara Kuuttila (MICHSU) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Jaeda Daniel/Madeline Meredith (AUBURN) def. Ava Thielman/Lexi Baylis (MICHSU) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,2,6)
#13 Auburn 4, Samford Women's Tennis 0
Singles
1. #49 Jaeda Daniel (AUBURN) def. Roos van der Zwaan (SAM-W) 6-1, 6-1
2. #86 Taylor Russo (AUBURN) def. Ellie Gerlach (SAM-W) 7-5, 6-1
3. Andie Dikosavljevic (AUBURN) vs. Holly Horsfall (SAM-W) 6-4, 5-3, unfinished
4. Madeline Meredith (AUBURN) def. Elsa Pool (SAM-W) 6-2, 6-1
5. Alannah Griffin (AUBURN) vs. Arianna Beltrame (SAM-W) 4-6, 1-4, unfinished
6. Caroline Turner (AUBURN) vs. Grace Jennings (SAM-W) 2-6, 6-1, unfinished
Doubles
1. #47 Taylor Russo/Alizee Michaud (AUBURN) vs. Roos van der Zwaan/Ellie Gerlach (SAM-W) 5-3, unfinished
2. Georgie Axon/Caroline Turner (AUBURN) def. Holly Horsfall/Elsa Pool (SAM-W) 6-2
3. Jaeda Daniel/Mary Katherine Lewis (AUBURN) def. Arianna Beltrame/Grace Jennings (SAM-W) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (4,1,2)