Georgia’s revenge taints Texas A&M women’s tennis’ attempt at 32 consecutive SEC wins and a repeated SEC championship title in the final match.
Quarterfinals against Vanderbilt
The Aggies defeated the Commodores 4-1 on Friday, April 21.
No. 55 doubles partners, sophomore Mary Stoiana and freshman Mia Kupres, defeated Vanderbilt’s senior Anna Ross and junior Holly Staff 6-1. The younger Aggie duo overcame their Commodore foes quickly, as their doubles match ended first.
The Commodores pulled ahead in the second completed doubles match. No. 25 graduates Jayci Goldsmith and Salma Ewing were outplayed by sophomore Celia-Belle Mohr and senior Marcella Cruz. The unranked side won 6-2 over the Aggies.
Securing the doubles point for A&M, sophomores Gianna Pielet and Jeanette Mireles narrowly beat freshman Bridget Stammel and junior Anessa Lee by a score of 7-5. The Aggies have won back-to-back doubles against the Commodores.
Goldsmith, No. 115 in singles, doubled the lead for the maroon and white with her 6-1 and 6-2 win over Staff. Named to the SEC Community Service Team on April 13, Goldsmith has now beaten two Vanderbilt opponents in singles in her last two matches.
No. 73 defeated No. 89 on Court 2. Ewing showed out against Stammel, then won 6-3 and 6-2 to add to the lead for A&M. With this, the California native earned her fifth consecutive singles win.
The maroon and white were one point away from clinching when No. 34 Mohr defeated the seven time awarded and reigning SEC Player of the Week, No. 2 Stoiana, 6-2 and 6-4. Mohr ended Stoiana’s 14-match winning streak.
To clinch the match, freshman Daria Smetannikov came back in the second and third sets against sophomore Amy Stevens. The score of her match was 3-6, 6-4 and 6-3.
Semifinals against Florida
The Aggies defeated the Gators 4-2 on Saturday, April 22.
Florida’s senior Emma Shelton and freshman Sophie Williams took charge of Court 3 in doubles play, and the Gator duo outplayed Aggie sophomores Gianna Pielet and Jeanette Mireles 6-2.
No. 25 doubles partners in graduates Salma Ewing and Jayci Goldsmith evened out the maroon and white’s chances for the point as they claimed their doubles match over No. 21 partners of sophomores Alicia Dudeney and Bente Spee.
One minute later, No. 55 pairing of sophomore Mary Stoiana and freshman Mia Kupres secured the doubles point, as they defeated No. 74 duo of senior Carly Briggs and freshman Rachel Gailis.
No. 2 Stoiana restarted her winning streak against No. 25 junior Sara Dahlstrom by winning 6-1 and 6-1. The first singles match completed doubled the points for the Aggies.
Florida put a point on the board with No. 100 Dudeney overcoming No. 57 Kupres 6-4 and 6-3 on Court 3.
To extend the maroon and white’s lead, No. 73 Ewing beat out No. 45 Briggs 2-6, 6-2 and 6-4. Following A&M’s increased lead, No. 115 Goldsmith lost to Gailis 3-7, 6-1 and 5-7 as the Gators chipped away at the Aggie lead.
Clinching the match and a spot in the SEC championship match, Mireles overcame Spee 5-7, 6-1 and 6-1 for an ending score of 4-2.
Finals against Georgia
The Aggies were defeated by the Bulldogs 4-2 on Sunday, April 23.
The double point escaped the racquets of the ladies in maroon and white. A&M lost its fifth doubles point in 29 matches.
No. 35 sophomores Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn secured the doubles point for Georgia as they defeated No. 55 freshman Mia Kupres and sophomore Mary Stoiana 6-3. The Bulldogs also won over the Aggies with senior Lea Ma and graduate Meg Kowalski beating sophomores Gianna Pielet and Jeanette Mireles 6-4.
The only A&M doubles match to succeed was No. 25 graduates Jayci Goldsmith and Salma Ewing who won 6-1 over sophomores Dasha Vidmanova and Mell Reasco.
In singles, the Bulldogs stayed strong. Grant defeated Mireles 6-3 and 6-1 on Court 6, and Mireles had not lost a singles match since her last encounter with Grant seven matches prior.
No. 115 Goldsmith began chipping away at Georgia’s lead with her two set singles match victory over freshman Anastasiia Lopata.
Extending her losing streak in singles to two after her 6-3 and 6-4 loss to Florida’s Alicia Dudeney in the semifinals, No. 57 Kupres lost to No. 66 Reasco 6-4 and 6-3.
Ma appeared to hyperextend her knee mid-match and required attention, but she was able to fiercely compete against Stoiana for the remainder of their match. No. 2 Stoiana defeated No. 3 Ma 6-2 and 6-4.
The match-clincher for the Bulldogs came from Court 5. Freshman Daria Smetannikov fell to No. 71 Kowalski in the final two sets. Smetannikov won Set 1 6-4, but fell in the remaining sets 6-2 both times.
A&M will wait for their next match in the NCAA competition, with the first round beginning on May 5.