AUBURN, Ala. – The road to the NCAA Championship begins Friday for the 14th-ranked Auburn women's tennis team as the Tigers are the host for the NCAA First and Second Rounds at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
Auburn (20-5) will face Jackson State (17-6) in the first round at 1 p.m. CT Friday. In the other first-round match, Memphis (20-6) will take on Georgia Tech (14-10) at 10 a.m. The two first-round winners will square off at noon CT Saturday. Admission to all three matches is free.
"To earn the opportunity to be at home is something this program hasn't done very often," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "It's exciting for the team. To be able to sleep in your own beds and play on your own courts in front of your own fans is really a special experience. Very few schools earn that opportunity and that privilege, and it's been earned since August when we reported. Every day they've put in the work to strive for those incremental improvements."
With inclement weather in the forecast for Friday, it is anticipated that both first-round matches will be played indoors. Saturday's forecast looks to be more favorable for playing outdoors. Fans attending Friday's matches can pick up a free Chick-fil-A sandwich while supplies last, and the Kona Ice truck will be on site for Saturday's match.
AUBURN IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Tigers are the No. 13 national seed in the 2022 NCAA Championships. They are making their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and their second straight. Auburn has an 8-5 record all-time in first-round matches and has won five of their last seven.
Auburn is hosting for the third time. Both previous times saw the Tigers win both their first two matches and advance to the Round of 16. In 2016, Auburn earned a 4-0 win over Alcorn State and a 4-2 victory over Arizona State. The next year, it was a 4-0 win over DePaul and a 4-2 victory over Florida State.
Last season, the Tigers returned to the tournament and won a first-round match over Oklahoma State before falling to seventh-ranked Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Three All-SEC First-Team selections lead the Tigers into the postseason. Selin Ovunc, Ariana Arseneault and Carolyn Ansari have held down the top three spots in the singles lineup for the majority of the season. Ovunc is ranked No. 34 in the most recent national rankings and earned a berth in the NCAA singles field, announced this week. Arseneault comes in at No. 75 nationally and has won four straight matches, all against ranked opponents. And Ansari is ranked No. 114 and owns a 27-10 record in singles this season.
Ovunc and Arseneault are the No. 9-ranked doubles tandem nationally with an 18-7 record. Doubles has been a strength of the Tigers this season; Auburn has claimed the doubles point in 19 of 25 matches.
THIS WEEKEND'S OPPONENTS
Jackson State won the 2022 SWAC Tournament title to clinch an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. It was the third SWAC title in program history and their first since 2005. Head coach Gabrielle Moore was named SWAC Coach of the Year, and Paula Arcarons was the tournament MVP. Auburn is 2-0 all-time against Jackson State with both meetings coming in a home doubleheader in 2019.
Memphis clinched an automatic tournament berth by winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament title. It is the second NCAA appearance in program history with their last trip coming in 2013. Memphis' 20 wins this season are their most since 1987. Auburn is 7-0 all-time against Memphis; the last meeting came at home in 2020.
Georgia Tech earned an at-large berth and is ranked No. 33 nationally coming into the tournament. The Yellow Jackets boast the nation's No. 4-ranked doubles team in Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura, and Lee is ranked No. 22 nationally in singles. The Tigers and Tech have already met once this season; Auburn earned a 5-2 win at home on Feb. 4. Auburn is 12-16 all-time against Georgia Tech.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live scoring for all three matches will be available; links are available on the tournament central page and the tennis schedule page at AuburnTigers.com. Live video for all first- and second-round matches of the tournament is available exclusively via the TennisONE app, available for download on mobile devices. However, if matches are played indoors, live video will not be available.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
No. 14 Tigers ready to host NCAA women's tennis regional
