AUBURN, Ala. – The 15th-ranked Auburn women's tennis team earned its eighth SEC victory of the season with a 5-2 win over No. 29 South Carolina Friday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers (18-6, 8-4 SEC) took control early with two doubles wins, then cruised to victories on the top three singles courts to clinch the victory.
"When you are knocking on the door and nobody answers, eventually you just decide to bust on through," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "From the first point to the last, our young women stayed committed to playing their tennis. One-percent improvements in how we rest, how we fuel, how we hydrate, how we recover, how we study, and how we go about our daily business add up quickly. Our pursuit of improvement remains our primary focus."
Auburn got on the board first with doubles wins on courts two and three. Adeline Flach and Angella Okutoyi got it started with a 6-2 win over Carolina's Mulville and Mills on court two, and Kaitlyn Carnicella and DJ Bennett clinched the point with a 6-4 win over Carolina's Gretkowski and Cruz on court three. Ariana Arseneault and Carolyn Ansari were knotted 4-4 with Akli and Hamner when play was halted.
Arseneault, ranked 46th nationally, delivered a statement win at the top spot as the Auburn junior sprinted past No. 9 Ayana Akli, 6-2, 6-2, to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Bennett then made it 3-0 as she downed SC's Grace Mulville in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
Carolina got on the board as Carnicella fell to Misa Malkin, 6-1, 6-4. But 43rd-ranked Ansari provided the clinching point with another top-20 win, defeating 20th-ranked Sarah Hamner 6-4, 6-2 to secure the team victory.
Okutoyi overcame a second-set tiebreak loss to earn a win on court five with a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 1-0 (2) win over Elise Mills. And Flach pushed Ana Cruz to the brink in a thrilling third-set match tiebreak but came up just short on court six, 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (11).
A top-four seed in next week's SEC Tournament is on the line as Auburn closes out the regular season Sunday at home against the Florida Gators. Match time is noon CT at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. Senior Anastasia Astakhova will be recognized as part of Senior Day, and fans can enjoy free Kona Ice and other giveaways for the final home match of the season.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#15 Auburn 5, #29 South Carolina 2
Singles
1. #46 Ariana Arseneault (AU) def. #9 Ayana Akli (SC), 6-2, 6-2
2. #43 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. #20 Sarah Hamner (SC), 6-4, 6-2
3. DJ Bennett (AU) def. Gracie Mulville (SC), 6-4, 6-1
4. Misa Malkin (SC) def. Kaitlyn Carnicella (AU), 6-1, 6-4
5. Angella Okutoyi (AU) def. Elise Mills (SC), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 1-0 (2)
6. Ana Cruz (SC) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (11)
Order of finish: 1, 3, 4, 2, 5, 6
Doubles
1. #24 Arseneault/Ansari (AU) vs. #54 Akli/Hamner (SC), 4-4 unfinished
2. Flach/Okutoyi (AU) def. Mulville/Mills (SC), 6-2
3. Bennett/Carnicella (AU) def. Gretkowski/Cruz (SC), 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 3