Auburn Women’s Tennis Rolls Past Tulane, Eyes Fifth Straight Trip to ITA Indoors
AUBURN, Ala. - The fourth-ranked Auburn women’s tennis team didn’t waste any time making a statement to open ITA Kickoff Weekend. With a commanding 4-0 sweep over Tulane at the Yarbrough Tennis Center, the Tigers advanced to Sunday’s final and are now just one win away from punching their ticket to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship for the fifth straight season.
And they did it with authority.
Despite limited outdoor practice time due to cold and rainy conditions, Auburn came out sharp, especially in doubles play. Head coach Jordan Szabo praised the team’s ability to adapt and set the tone early.
“We haven’t been outside much lately, so to come out and take control in doubles was big,” Szabo said. “We’re still experimenting with our singles lineup, but the girls handled some tricky spots really well.
At the end of the day, we were winning on every court when the match was clinched. That’s a good sign.”
Doubles Dominance Sets the Stage
Auburn wasted no time grabbing the early momentum. The No. 2 duo of Angella Okutoyi and Merna Refaat looked locked in from the first serve, cruising to a 6-2 win. Meanwhile, Ashton Bowers and Ekaterina Khairutdinova were equally effective on court three, closing out a 6-3 victory to secure the doubles point for the Tigers.
That early lead gave Auburn the cushion it needed to experiment a bit in singles-and the lineup shuffle paid off.
Webb Makes a Statement in Auburn Debut
In her first singles match as a Tiger, Stefani Webb delivered a performance that turned heads. She came out firing, winning the first four games of her opening set against Leigh Van Zyl and never looked back. The freshman closed out a 6-1, 6-2 win with the kind of poise that bodes well for Auburn’s depth moving forward.
Veteran Presence, Freshman Fire
Senior DJ Bennett brought her usual steadiness to the top singles court. She overpowered Campbell Ricci 6-1 in the first set and fought through a tighter second to finish off a 6-1, 6-3 win. Bennett’s ability to close out matches under pressure continues to be a cornerstone for this Auburn squad.
Freshman Eva Ionescu followed suit with a composed, efficient performance at the No. 4 spot. After taking the first set 6-2 against Natalia Perez, she jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second and never looked back, clinching the team victory with a 6-2, 6-3 result.
At the moment Ionescu sealed the win, Alice Battesti was holding match point at No. 6 singles, and Auburn was leading on every court-an emphatic team performance from top to bottom.
What’s Next: A Ticket to Chicago on the Line
Auburn now turns its attention to Sunday’s 1 p.m. CT matchup against the winner of Nevada vs.
Florida State. A win would send the Tigers to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Chicago, set for Feb.
6-10. It would mark the program’s fifth consecutive trip to the prestigious event-an impressive streak that speaks to the consistency and depth Szabo has built.
Regardless of whether they play inside or out, Auburn’s ready. And if Saturday’s performance is any indication, the Tigers are more than capable of playing their best tennis when it matters most.
Match Notes:
- Auburn swept the doubles point with wins at courts 2 and 3.
- Singles victories came from Stefani Webb, DJ Bennett, and Eva Ionescu.
- Three matches went unfinished, all with Auburn in control.
Final Score:
#4 Auburn 4, Tulane 0
Singles Results:
- DJ Bennett (AUB) def.
Campbell Ricci (TULW) 6-1, 6-3
- Angella Okutoyi (AUB) vs.
Summer Chandler (TULW) 0-6, 6-4, 3-0, unfinished
- Stefani Webb (AUB) def.
Leigh Van Zyl (TULW) 6-1, 6-2
- Eva Ionescu (AUB) def.
Natalia Perez (TULW) 6-2, 6-3
- #28 Ava Esposito (AUB) vs.
Micah Pierce (TULW) 7-5, 4-5, unfinished
- #90 Alice Battesti (AUB) vs.
Natalia Fantini (TULW) 6-0, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles Results:
- Okutoyi/Refaat (AUB) def.
Van Zyl/Ricci (TULW) 6-2
- Bowers/Khairutdinova (AUB) def.
Chandler/Fantini (TULW) 6-3
- Esposito/Ionescu (AUB) vs.
Perez/Pierce (TULW) 4-3, unfinished
Fans attending Sunday’s final will have a chance to collect Auburn women’s tennis trading cards while supplies last. Live video and scoring will be available at AuburnTigers.com.