Riding high from a four-game winning streak, No. 2 Texas A&M women’s tennis will take its talents to the Alabama Tennis Stadium on Sunday, April 6, to take on the No. 33 Alabama Crimson Tide.
After a convincing 4-1 victory against then-No. 7 Tennessee, the Maroon and White have a chance to improve their Southeastern Conference record and extend their momentum.
In their last match, the Aggies dropped the first doubles point in their last seven matches. However, they more than made up for it by capturing four-straight singles points to secure the win.
A&M players to watch
The 2024 ITA National Player of the year, No. 2 senior Mary Stoiana, has been stellar for the Aggies this season. Her silky smooth all-around game has earned her a 9-1 overall record in singles while also recording a 4-1 record in doubles.
What stands out about Stoiana is that, while she has incredible consistency beyond the baseline, she’s also not afraid to push up toward the net for volleys to secure easy points.
No. 11 junior Nichole Khirin has shown incredible effort and skill so far. Her ball-striking ability, consistency and power have made her a nightmare to compete against as she has dropped just two singles matches and two doubles matches throughout the spring season.
No. 46 sophomore Lucciana Perez’s heart and resilience is something you just cannot teach. Her grit-and-grind playstyle has frustrated opponents who are never granted the opportunity for easy points. Her skills and mindset have helped her to an undefeated singles season with just one loss in doubles.
2024 ITA Doubles All-American No. 57 junior Mia Kupres has proven to be an elite singles and doubles player this season. Her incredible topspin-heavy forehand, consistent backhand and net game has made opponents scramble all over the court. Winning 64% of doubles matches and dropping only two singles matches, Kupres will be exciting to watch against the Crimson Tide.
Alabama players to watch
Coming into this match with just a 9-10 overall record, Alabama will look to break its six-game losing streak. Playing in front of their home crowd will surely make a difference, as the Crimson Tide are a solid 7-5 at home this season.
In their last match against No. 18 South Carolina, Alabama played hard but ultimately fell 4-1. A lack of consistency and constant errors in singles allowed the Gamecocks to fire balls past them. While the Crimson Tide secured the doubles point, they got swept in singles matches.
No. 64 senior Petra Sedlackova will be a player to watch in this matchup. Her exceptional performances earned her a Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2024, and she has proven to be the leader of this Alabama team.
Swedish junior Klara Milicevic will be a solid presence for Alabama. While she has struggled with form in recent weeks, she can turn her game up at any time and push even the best players around when she is playing well.
Graduate student Maria Martinez Vaquero will also be a player to look out for in this matchup. While she has struggled to stay consistent in singles, the Spaniard has a 9-3 record in her last 12 doubles matches and will surely make the Aggies work for the first point of the match.
The final person to look out for in this matchup for the Crimson Tide is graduate student Sara Nayar. While she hasn’t had much success recently in doubles, she has been a dominant singles presence. In finished matches this season, Nayar has dropped just one singles match, winning the majority of her matches in straight sets. She will try to take control of the pace of her matches against the Aggies.
