AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn women's tennis is well-represented in the 2021-22 preseason national rankings, released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Tuesday, with six student-athletes rated among the nation's best.
Three singles players and two doubles teams are nationally ranked for Auburn as the fall tennis season gets underway this month.
"We are privileged to coach a group of young women who consistently work to better themselves and one another," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "Accolades and accomplishments are a byproduct of the belief, and the belief is built in how we prepare and work on a daily basis. Who we are becoming in the process will continue to be our primary focus as nothing will change our ultimate goal of becoming the best versions of ourselves."
Junior Selin Ovunc tops the singles rankings for the Tigers, coming in at a career-best No. 33 nationally. Ovunc was an All-American for the Auburn in 2020-21, advancing to the round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championship. She finished with a 15-11 overall record, playing the entirety of the spring season at the No. 1 position.
Junior Carolyn Ansari also achieved a career-high ranking at No. 45. Playing at the No. 3 position most of the spring and moving to No. 2 for the postseason, Ansari compiled a 16-10 overall record and 14-3 mark in dual matches. Ovunc and Ansari were both second-team All-SEC selections last year.
Senior Yu Chen, at No. 116, gives Auburn three singles players ranked in the preseason release. Chen played at the No. 2 and 3 positions last season, posting a 12-15 record.
In doubles, the team of graduate student Georgie Axon and sophomore Adeline Flach opens the fall season at No. 19. The duo played together the entirety of the fall and spring last season, posting a 15-11 overall record and an 11-9 mark in dual matches, finishing the season at No. 76. Ovunc and sophomore transfer Ariana Arseneault enter the doubles rankings at No. 22. Ovunc went 13-13 in doubles last season, playing with Ansari and Taylor Russo, while Arseneault was an All-American in doubles as part of the nation's No. 4-ranked tandem while a freshman at Georgia.
Four Tigers were also selected to compete in the ITA All-American Championships, which returns to the schedule after a hiatus in 2020. In singles, Ovunc was selected for the main draw and Ansari earned a spot in the qualifying round. Axon and Flach were selected for the doubles main draw as well. The ITA All-American Championships run Oct. 4-10 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Auburn opens the 2021 fall season next weekend, Sept. 17-19, at the Virginia Invitational in Charlottesville, Va. The Tigers return seven letter-winners from the 2020-21 squad that went 14-9 overall, 7-6 in SEC play and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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