As SEC play gets underway, the Aggies keep on rolling.
On Friday, March 11, Texas A&M women’s tennis set foot in Starkville, Miss., for a road meeting with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Aggies solidified themselves as SEC juggernauts, earning their first conference shutout of the season.
Freshmen Jeanette Mireles and Gianna Pielet kicked off the doubles competition with a 6-0 landslide, and the duo of junior Carson Branstine and freshman Mary Stoiana followed it up with a 6-1 victory to clinch the doubles point for the Aggies.
As singles commenced, the Aggies continued their winning ways. A&M senior Tatiana Makarova made quick work of MSU senior Tamara Racine, winning 6-1, 6-0. Pielet followed suit, taking down freshman Alessia Tagliente in a more competitive fashion, 6-3, 6-2.
Branstine’s match against MSU senior Emmanouela Antonaki was the next to conclude, as Branstine earned the 6-3, 6-2 victory. Mireles took down MSU junior Marta Falceto 6-3, 6-3 to bring the Aggies closer to the complete sweep.
Following her consecutive victories in doubles and singles, Brastine said she was proud of the team and her well-rounded performance.
“It felt great to clinch both the doubles point and the team match today,” Branstine said. “I feel like Mary [Stoiana] and I played a really solid match together, and I was able to sustain that through singles.”
A&M senior Jayci Goldsmith found herself in a nail-biter against junior Alexandra Mikhailuk, tied after two sets. In the tie-breaker, Goldsmith clutched up to keep the sweep alive. Stoiana also had a close match against sophomore Chloé Cirotte, but she ultimately completed the 7-6, 6-4 victory.
Following the convincing win, A&M coach Mark Weaver said the team’s intensity in practice has prepared it for the demanding competition in the SEC.
“These SEC road matches never come easy, so being able to win a 7-0 match on the road speaks to how well we are playing right now,” Weaver said. “We have put in a lot of work in practice recently and have done our best to prepare for all sorts of situations.”
The Aggies’ season continues on Sunday, March 13, when the team concludes its Mississippi road trip with a meeting with Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. The action will be underway at 1 p.m.