AUBURN, Ala. – Due to their success last season, Auburn women's tennis is set to host ITA Kickoff Weekend on the Plains. No. 15 Auburn, No. 19 Arizona State, No. 23 UCF and the University of Santa Barbara will be competing for one spot in the 2023 ITA Indoor Championship in Seattle, Washington.
On Saturday, Auburn will battle UCSB at 11 a.m. CT while Sunday's opponent and time will be determined by Saturday's match results.
The Tigers look to continue their momentum after notching their first two wins of the season over then-22nd ranked Iowa State and Samford. Junior Ariana Arseneault, freshman DJ Bennett, freshman Angella Okutoyi, and freshman Kaitlyn Carnicella have each already picked up a ranked singles victory this season while Arseneault and senior Carolyn Ansari have a doubles win over the 17th ranked doubles team in the country in the books.
Carnicella's first week of collegiate dual matches was highlighted by a victory over the 5th ranked singles player in the nation, Abbey Flores, on Sunday. That feat, along with recording an additional singles win over Samford's Ally Hayduk as well as two doubles victories, earned her SEC freshman of the week honors that were announced on Wednesday.
Auburn's Saturday opponent, UCSB, holds a 1-1 record this season after a 5-2 road win over UC Davis and a loss at No. 12 California by a 6-1 score. As for the other two teams that will be participating this weekend, Arizona State is a perfect 5-0 thanks to five straight home victories while UCF is 1-0 after defeating Stetson at home 4-3.
All of the action is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday with Auburn and UCSB which will be followed by Arizona State and UCF at 2:00 p.m. CT. On Sunday, the losers of Saturday's matches will take part in a consolation match at 10:00 a.m. CT while the two winners will play for a trip to the 2023 ITA Indoor Championship at 1:00 p.m. CT.
Weather permitting, all matches will be played at the Yarbrough Tennis Center outdoor courts. Live streaming video and live stats will be available at AuburnTigers.com, while Cracked Raquets will be providing coverage of 13 ITA Kickoff Weekend sites across the country on their YouTube channel.
Fans in attendance of Auburn's matches at Yarbrough Tennis Center will receive a free Auburn tennis t-shirt while supplies last.
