In a top-15 matchup in the country, the Texas A&M women’s tennis team defeated the University of Miami on Sunday, March 19. The Aggies managed to fend off the highly-ranked Hurricanes, and maintain their eight-match win streak. The maroon and white successfully defended their home court, 5-2.
Coming into the day’s match the Intercollegiate Tennis Association had A&M ranked all the way at No. 2 in the country. However, Miami was not a team lacking in talent as they were ranked at No. 13 in the nation. This made the day’s match one of the most highly exciting in the country as the Hurricanes looked to prove themselves against the highly touted Aggies. This A&M team had not lost in 8 matches. Their last loss was in the ITA national team indoors tournament semifinals, to the current No. 1 team in the country, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are no slouchers either as they came into the day’s match on a four-match win streak, all against the country’s top-ranked teams.
The Aggies would get off to an uncharacteristic slow start as they would drop the point in doubles play. This was unusual for the Aggies as they had not dropped a doubles point in five matches.
The Hurricanes’ No. 14 ranked team of senior Daevenia Achong and junior Maya Tahan defeated Aggies’ No. 47 ranked team of graduate students Salma Ewing and Jayci Goldsmith by a score of 6-3. Then to earn the point for Miami, the team of junior Audrey Boch-Collins and freshmen Mia Mack took down A&M’s team of sophomores Jeanette Mireles and Gianna Pielet by a score of 6-4.
The third doubles game between A&M’s team of freshmen Mia Kupres and sophomore Mary Stoiana versus Miami’s duo of redshirt sophomore Alexa Noel and junior Isabella Pfennig would be ruled unfinished. The score at the time the match was called was 4-5.
A&M coach Mark Weaver said the team was put into an unusual position going into singles play down a point.
“Our backs were against the wall which we haven’t felt that much this year, but it showed the character this team has to respond,” Weaver said.
The Aggies would indeed respond. Winning 3-straight points in singles play. It started with A&M’s Mireles taking down Miami’s Tahan in just two sets by scores of 6-4 and 6-3. The Aggie sophomore defeated the Hurricanes veteran in two quick sets to help flip the momentum back in the home team’s favor.
Next for the maroon and white, the No. 106 ranked Kupres defeated Pfennig in two sets by scores of 7-6 and 6-4. To follow that up, the Aggies’ No. 80 freshmen Daria Smetannikov defeated the Hurricanes’ Mack again in just two sets by scores of 7-5 and 6-4.
This was 3-straight points for the Aggies. All of which were earned by highly touted underclassmen. This proved that while they may be young this team is not to be messed with. This made the score of the day’s match 3-1 in favor of the Aggies. Meaning they only needed 1 more point to claim victory in the top-15 matchup.
The Hurricanes would rebound claiming the next point as Achong defeated the Aggie’s Ewing in two highly contested sets by scores of 7-6 and 6-4. This made the score on the day 3-2 and the Hurricanes would hope to keep the momentum going for the remaining two matches.
This would not be the case as A&M’s highest-ranked player No. 5 Stoiana took down Miami’s best player No. 13 Noel in three electric sets by scores of 1-6, 6-4 and 6-2. Then to end the match day, the Aggie’s No. 90 Goldsmith would come back and defeat the Hurricane’s Boch-Collins in three sets by scores of 1-6, 7-6 and 7-5.
This earned A&M the win by a score of 5-2 and successfully came back from their uncharacteristically slow start. Coach Weaver spoke on the women’s ability to flip the momentum from their early point drop and get the win despite maybe not being in the best of form.
“We found a way to get the job done, and that’s the most important thing in college tennis,” Weaver said. “We’re not necessarily playing our best tennis right now, but we just beat an excellent Miami team today, and I’m very proud of all of the girls.”
The Aggies now hoist a record of 17 wins and just one loss, finding themselves on a nine-match win streak. Miami now with a record of nine wins and three losses, drops just their third match on the season.
A&M look to continue the winning streak as they will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to face their Southeastern Conference rival the University of Alabama. The Aggies take on the Crimson Tide at the Alabama Tennis Stadium on Friday, March 24.