CARY, N.C.- Auburn sophomores Kaitlyn Carnicella and DJ Bennett had a strong first day at the Fall Ranked Spotlight on Thursday, as the Tiger duo posted two doubles victories to kick off the tournament.
"We earned a ton of touches at the net today," said Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley. "Whether we execute them early in hte match or not, we have to be resolute ingoing to get them the entire time. DJ and Kaitlyn did a great job of forcing their opponents to adjust to how we play doubles while rewarding each other for doing the right things regardless of the result."
The Auburn doubles team, which finished the 2022-23 season with a 14-6 overall doubles record, earned a 6-3 victory over NC State's Abigail Rencheli and Gabriella Broadfoot as well as a 6-3 win over Kari Miller and Piper Charney of Michigan. The pair of doubles victories earns Carnicella and Bennett a spot in the championship for their respective flight, which will be played on Sunday against Duke's Emma Jackson and Ellie Coleman. The Auburn duo claimed the title for their doubles flight in last year's event.
Auburn's 17th ranked doubles team of Ariana Arseneault and Carolyn Ansari had a difficult day on Thursday, as they dropped both of their ranked matchups. The pair's first loss came against No. 14 Irina Cantos Siemers and Sydni Ratliff of Ohio State while the second loss was to South Carolina's Ayana Akli and Sarah Hamner, the 10th ranked doubles team in the nation.
Singles play will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. at Cary Tennis Park. Match results will be posted at the conclusion of play each day on AuburnTigers.com.
Thursday results:
#14 Irina Cantos Siemers/Sydni Ratliff (OSU) def. #17 Ariana Arseneault/Carolyn Ansari (AUB) 6-3
Kaitlyn Carnicella/DJ Bennett (AUB) def. Abigail Rencheli/Gabriella Broadfoot (NCST) 6-3
#10 Ayana Akli/Sarah Hamner (SCAR) def. #17 Ariana Arseneault/Carolyn Ansari (AUB) 6-4
Kaitlyn Carnicella/DJ Bennett (AUB) def. Kari Miller/Piper Charney (MICH) 6-3
