Thanks to a remarkable Southeastern Conference season that saw newly No. 1 Texas A&M women’s tennis finish 14-1, the Aggies will take their talents to Auburn, Alabama to compete in the SEC Tournament. Because they are a top-four seed, the Maroon and White have already punched their ticket to the tournament’s quarterfinal round.
Coming off a breathtaking victory against then-No. 1 Georgia, A&M demonstrated immense mental toughness, consistency and ball-striking skills to claim a 4-3 victory and its fourth-straight SEC regular season title.
The 2024 ITA National Player of the Year No. 2 senior Mary Stoiana came up huge in singles. Matched up with Georgia’s No. 1 senior Dasha Vidmanova, it was Stoiana who proved to be the better creator. She moved her opponent from side to side, utilized drop shots and rushed the net whenever she felt like volleying a point away. With all of these factors in her favor, she was able to take a straight-sets win, 7-6, 7-6.
Looming is a potential quarterfinals matchup against No. 8 Texas. While the Maroon and White were able to claim both matchups earlier in the season, the Longhorns have only gotten better as the season has progressed, currently riding a five-match winning streak.
Perhaps the biggest narrative of all is how the Aggies will respond to the heat of the ball off of the Longhorns’ racket. While A&M has been dominant throughout the season, they have struggled most against teams that fire bullets across the net.
The 15-9 overall Longhorns are filled with strikers and power hitters. Led by No. 56 senior Sabina Zeynalova and No. 37 freshman Carmen Andreea Herea, Texas was able to put together a strong conference season with a 9-6 record. Throughout the season they proved to be capable contenders, picking up wins over then-No. 1 Georgia and No. 12 Oklahoma while showcasing their baseline skills.
The Aggies will have to rely on their ball-placement ability to constantly move them around the court and away from their strike zones. Making the Longhorns uncomfortable and forcing them to play defense has paid dividends for the Aggies in past matchups, and it will be interesting to see if A&M can win a third matchup against their in-state rival.
If the Maroon and White make it to the semifinals, there could be a potential matchup against the No. 11 Auburn Tigers, a smart and creative team that utilizes about every shot in tennis. A team with an 11-4 conference record and a 13-2 home record, Auburn could utilize its entire arsenal to push any team around — especially with the SEC Tournament being played on their home court.
While the Aggies were able to prevail in their only matchup of the season, the Tigers have gone 11-1 since and are in near-perfect form. A key for the Maroon and White will be to keep the Tigers on defense. If they are able to keep their options limited, the Aggies will be able to out-rally and overpower them.
No. 2 Georgia is another contender A&M could potentially meet later in the tournament. This group is infused with great all-around tennis players, currently boasting four players ranked in the top 90 for singles and three duos ranked in the top 100 for doubles.
Led by No. 1 Vidmanova and No. 22 junior Anastasiia Lopata, Georgia has been a near-unstoppable force as they finished SEC play with an astonishing 13-2 record. However, Georgia is riding a lack of momentum entering the tournament as it is currently on a two-game losing streak. If the Bulldogs don’t regain focus soon, they could very well have an early exit in this tournament. Before these two heartbreaking losses to A&M and Texas, Georgia was on a 17-game winning streak that included nine sweeps.
If the Aggies want to beat the Bulldogs’ loaded roster again, they will have to play with great consistency and extend rallies. Georgia has proven to be prone to mistakes during long rallies as they attempt to overpower balls that lead to unforced errors.
Another key to success is to bully the Bulldogs’ backhand. Because their main weapons consist of heavy-topspin forehands and net brilliance, overusing their backhand will minimize the damage they can do. If they limit the Red and Black’s weapons, the Maroon and White will be able to use their consistency to their advantage to take care of business.
A&M will open their tournament at 6 p.m. on April 18 in the quarterfinal round against an opponent TBD.
