STILLWATER, Okla. – Auburn's 15th-ranked doubles team of Ariana Arseneault and DJ Bennett started their run at the NCAA Doubles Championship with a win on Tuesday evening at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Auburn duo defeated No. 13 Fangran Tian and Elise Wagle of UCLA 7-6 (3), 7-5.
"Ariana [Arseneault] and DJ [Bennett] played a really smart doubles match against a good UCLA team," said Auburn interim head coach Lester Cook. "They competed well and willed their way to a win tonight that didn't finish until 10 p.m. Now we have to rest up and get ready to take on a top-ranked team in the country tomorrow, which is a great opportunity."
With the first set tied at two, Tian and Wagle were able to earn a break before Arseneault and Bennett earned a break of their own to tie the set at four. Both sides held serve to force the set into a tiebreaker that the Tigers won 6-3 after winning four of the first five points.
The second set also remained close, with the two teams trading games until the score reached five all. Arseneault and Bennett then earned a big break that led them to a 7-5 second set victory. The win marked the pair's 11th overall victory of the season.
After picking up an opening round victory in the NCAA Singles Championship on Monday, Auburn's No. 9 Carolyn Ansari suffered a straight-set loss to 31st-ranked Anika Yarlagadda to end her run at the championship.
Ansari's season concludes with a 21-13 overall singles record. The senior's college career will come to an end with 100 career singles victories, which is the fourth-most in program history as well as 178 combined victories, which ranks sixth in program history.
On Wednesday, Arseneault and Bennett will play in the round of 16 match against No. 2 Janice Tjen and Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine at 3 p.m. CT. This will be the second time that the two doubles teams have faced off this season, as Tjen and Broadus claimed a win in a tiebreaker when the two teams met in a dual match on Feb. 23.
Live coverage of the NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships will be available on ESPN+ and live scoring will be available online at ioncourt.com.
NCAA Singles Round of 32 Results:
#31 Anika Yarlagadda (UNC) def. #9 Carolyn Ansari (AUB) 6-0, 6-1
NCAA Doubles Round of 32 Results:
#15 Ariana Arseneault/DJ Bennett (AUB) def. #13 Fangran Tian/Elise Wagle (UCLA) 7-6 (3), 7-5
Arseneault, Bennett advance to second round of NCAA Doubles Championship
