ORLANDO, Fla. - Auburn senior Carolyn Ansari and junior Ariana Arseneault each picked up singles victories to advance to the NCAA Singles Championships round of 16 on Tuesday. The Auburn duo also teamed up in the NCAA Doubles Championships on Tuesday evening but fell in a close match. With today's victories, Ansari and Arseneault have each qualified for the 2023 ITA Singles All-American team.
"From the first point of singles to the last point in doubles, Ariana [Arseneault] and Carolyn [Ansari] represented Auburn and our culture with impeccable grace," said Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley. "To say we are immensely proud of them would be an understatement. Win or lose, these two young women have established themselves as a force in college tennis. We learn, we grow and we attack tomorrow's opportunities just as we have done all year."
Ansari was the first to take the court for her second-round matchup against fifth ranked Alexa Noel from Miami. After dropping the first set, the senior came back to win the second set in a tiebreaker and ultimately took the match by a 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 score.
Noel is now the highest ranked singles opponent that Ansari has defeated in her Auburn career. Previously, the highest ranked wins were against No. 12 Dasha Vidmanova of Georgia earlier this season and No. 12 Meg Kowalski of Georgia in 2021.
Arseneault's round of 32 match against No. 24 Celia-Belle Mohr was interrupted by rain and lightning in the area and was moved indoors. After the move inside, the junior finished off a dominant two-set 6-3, 6-4 upset victory. The match marked the 23rd overall singles victory of the season for Arseneault.
On Tuesday evening, Ansari and Arseneault's first-round matchup against the 19th ranked San Diego duo of Kailey Evans and Elizabeth Goldsmith was moved indoors due to weather. The Auburn tandem forced a tiebreaker in both sets, but ultimately lost both tiebreakers to fall by a close 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6) score.
In the NCAA Singles Championship round of 16 on Wednesday, Ansari will face Georgia Tech's No. 15 Carol Lee while Arseneault will play Michigan's No. 36 Kari Miller. Both matches will begin at 11 a.m. CT. Live streaming video and live scoring of each match will be available on the USTA National Tennis Campus' official website at ustanationalcampus.com.
NCAA Singles Championships Round of 32 Results:
#23 Carolyn Ansari (AUB) def. #5 Alexa Noel (UM) 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3
#32 Ariana Arseneault (AUB) def. #24 Celia-Belle Mohr (VU) 6-3, 6-4
NCAA Doubles Championships Round of 32 Results:
#19 Kailey Evans/Elizabeth Goldsmith (SD) def. #31 Ariana Arseneault/Carolyn Ansari (AUB) 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6)
Ansari, Arseneault with second round upset victories in NCAA Singles Championships
