BATON ROUGE, La. – The ninth-ranked Auburn women's team finished off its road weekend on a high note Sunday, earning a 6-1 win at LSU.
Auburn (17-3, 8-1 SEC) fought for the doubles point, then pushed through a tough fight from LSU in singles to secure its eighth league win of the season.
"We are really proud of how the girls responded today," associate head coach Megan Falcon said. "They were composed and resilient throughout the match. LSU made a push towards the end of the first sets in singles, and our unshakable response was consistent across the board."
Falcon, one of LSU's all-time greats, was honored prior to the match as she returned to her alma mater as Auburn's associate head coach.
"The tribute to coach Falcon before the match was unexpected but appreciated," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "As one of the most decorated players ever at LSU, returning to her alma mater with so much of her family in attendance was very special."
Auburn got on the board first, claiming the doubles point after a fight to the finish. Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach picked up the first win on court 2, 6-3, but it would come down to the top spot as Carolyn Ansari and Madeline Meredith dropped a 6-4 match on court 3.
The match between 22nd-ranked Selin Ovunc and Ariana Arseneault and LSU's team of Safiya Carrington and Taylor Bridges came down to a tiebreaker, but the Auburn tandem took control early to earn a 7-6 (4) win and a point for Auburn.
Yu Chen delivered the Tigers' first singles point with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Rania Azziz at the sixth singles spot. Axon would follow up with a straight-sets win of her own, 6-4, 6-2 over Mia Rabinowitz. The clincher came from 81st-ranked Ansari on court three as she defeated No. 94 Ena Babic, 7-5, 6-3.
Arseneault, ranked 59th, made it 5-0 with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Nina Geissler on court two. LSU claimed its lone point of the match as Flach fell to Bridges, 6-2, 7-5. Then 65th-ranked Ovunc closed it out, fighting back from a first-set loss to earn a 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win over No. 70 Carrington.
Auburn heads out on its final SEC road trip of the season next weekend with matches at South Carolina and Florida.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#9 Auburn 6, LSU 1
Singles
1. #65 Selin Ovunc (AU) def. #70 Safiya Carrington (LSU), 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
2. #59 Ariana Arseneault (AU) def. Nina Geissler (LSU), 7-5, 6-3
3. #81 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. #94 Ena Babic (LSU), 7-5, 6-3
4. Taylor Bridges (LSU) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 6-2, 7-5
5. Georgie Axon (AU) def. Mia Rabinowitz (LSU), 6-4, 6-2
6. Yu Chen (AU) def. Rania Azziz (LSU), 6-4, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 5, 3, 2, 4, 1
Doubles
1. #22 Ovunc/Arseneault (AU) def. Bridges/Carrington (LSU), 7-6 (4)
2. Axon/Flach (AU) def. Geissler/Rabinowitz (LSU), 6-3
3. Azziz/Babic (LSU) def. Ansari/Meredith (AU), 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
