The Auburn women’s tennis team will host Missouri on Thursday evening and No. 13 Vanderbilt on Sunday, closing out the regular season at the Yarbrough Tennis Center, according to an April 9 announcement. Sunday’s match will also serve as Senior Day for the Tigers.
These matches are important as they mark the end of the regular season and offer Auburn a chance to honor its senior players. Head coach Jordan Szabo said, “I always say at the beginning of the year that the first weekend is all about the freshman and the last weekend is all about the seniors.” He added, “We put ourselves in a good position to host some NCAA matches here in Auburn, so it likely won’t be the last weekend that we play on the courts.”
Szabo emphasized what this occasion means for his players: “It will still be a lot of nostalgia, especially for the girls that have been here for a while. I think this is about honoring them the right way and playing for them in the right way so we can get some victories and they can really enjoy this weekend.”
Auburn comes into these games with a record of 27-3 overall and an 11-2 mark in conference play after splitting two recent matches in Texas. The Tigers remain ranked No. 4 nationally by ITA and hold top spot in UTR Sports College Teams Rankings.
Senior Ekaterina Khairutdinova recently moved up to No. 49 in singles rankings after clinching a win against Texas’ Anastasia Abbagnato. The doubles team of DJ Bennett and Ava Esposito advanced to third nationally with their strong performance this season.
Missouri arrives with a record of 12-15 overall but has not won any conference matches this year; Auburn has won all previous encounters between these teams. Vanderbilt stands at 19-6 overall, led by senior Bridget Stammel who is ranked sixth nationally.
Fans attending Thursday’s match will receive free shaved ice while supplies last; tumblers will be distributed during Sunday’s Senior Day presentation honoring DJ Bennett, Angella Okutoyi, and Ekaterina Khairutdinova.
