Credit to Sam Thornton | Assistant Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 2 Texas A&M women’s tennis team is set to host a pair of top-15 ranked conference matches in No. 14 Tennessee, Friday, March 31 and No. 4 Georgia, Sunday, April 2 at the Mitchell Tennis Center. First serves for the fixtures are set for 5 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.
The Aggies (19-1, 7-0 SEC) claimed their 11th straight victory last time out versus then-No. 11 Auburn (5-2). A&M struck early, claiming the doubles point when Mary Stoiana/Mia Kupres secured their first ranked win as a pair besting No. 80 Adeline Flach/Angella Okutoyi on court 2, which gave the Maroon & White the advantage. No. 46 Jayci Goldsmith/Salma Ewing sealed the deal with a win on court 1 over No. 20 Carolyn Anasari/Ariana Arseneault (7-5).
A&M carried its momentum into singles, as it locked down four of the six courts. No. 101 Daria Smetannikov doubled the Maroon & White’s lead on court 5, as she dominated Okutoyi (6-1, 6-1). No. 100 Kupres logged her team high 14th win of the season over Kaitlyn Carnicella on court 3 (6-2, 6-4). Jeanette Mireles secured the match-clinching point on court 6, as she increased her winning streak to eight over Adeline Flach (6-4, 6-3). No. 3 Stoiana added the final win, as she outlasted No. 32 Ansari on court 1 (6-7(3), 6-3, 1-0(8)).
“We are looking forward to the challenge of playing a very good team in Tennessee,” head coach Mark Weaver said. “They are having an excellent season so far and it should make for a great college tennis match. We have been performing at a high level all season and we are coming off of a great week of practices, I know that the Aggies will be ready to go.”
The Aggies have won the past three matchups with Tennessee (13-3, 6-1 SEC), with all matches being closely contested. A&M won the most recent meeting last season in Knoxville, 4-3.
“We have had a lot of battles over the years with Georgia,” Weaver said. “We are two of the very best teams in the nation, and Sunday’s match will be college tennis at the highest level.”
The Maroon & White are down in the all-time series with the Bulldogs (14-3, 7-0 SEC), 10-3. The Aggies however have won the previous two matches, with the most recent being in the final of the 2022 Southeastern Conference Tournament where A&M swept Georgia in the final, 4-0.
Texas A&M continued its SEC weekly awards dominance, as Stoiana claimed her fourth Player of the Week honor of the season, the eighth of her career following an undefeated week with a ranked singles win and a pair of doubles wins with Kupres.
Fans can follow the action through the live stream and live stats on our official website.
MATCH STATS
- Mia Kupres leads the team with 14 dual match singles wins.
- Kupres leads the Aggies in singles winning percentage .933 (Min. 10 dual matches played).
- In singles, court 3 holds the highest winning percentage at .938.
- Jayci Goldsmith/Salma Ewing lead the Maroon & White with 14 dual match doubles wins.
- In doubles, courts 1 and 2 hold the highest winning percentage at .867.
- The Aggies boast a .929 winning percentage versus ranked opponents this season.
- The Maroon & White have a perfect record in ranked doubles matches, 15-0.
NOTABLE STREAKS
- A&M is currently on an 11-match win streak.
- The Aggies are on a 23-match unbeaten run in the SEC, following their undefeated conference schedule last season.
- The Maroon & White have won 47 consecutive matches when playing outdoors.
- Jeanette Mireles and Mary Stoiana are each on eight-match winning streaks, which lead the team.
TEAM NOTES
- A&M has only allowed 17 points to its opposition all season when the Aggies win the match.
- The Maroon & White have lost only one match on court 3 this season.
- The Aggies have won 13 ranked matches this season, seven of those have been top-25 victories.
- A&M has lost only three doubles points through 20 dual matches.
- The Maroon & White have swept nine opponents this season.
ITA RANKINGS
- The team boasts six singles players and three doubles pairs in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
- Ranked in singles: No. 3 Mary Stoiana, No. 54 Carson Branstine, No. 90 Gianna Pielet, No. 100 Mia Kupres, No. 101 Daria Smetannikov and No. 120 Jayci Goldsmith.
- Ranked in doubles: No. 3 Stoiana/Branstine, No. 42 Goldsmith/Stoiana and No. 46 Salma Ewing/Goldsmith.
AWARDS
- Mary Stoiana has been awarded SEC Player of the Week honors four times this season: Feb. 1, March 1, March 8 and March 29.
- Mia Kupres was awarded SEC Freshman of the week honors four times this season: Feb. 15, March 1, March 15 and March 22.
12TH MAN REWARDS
12th Man Rewards is the free program that appreciates fans for standing with the 12th Man and attending Texas A&M Athletics events in support of creating a homefield advantage for our student-athletes and coaches.
The more events you attend, your points will increase. Those points can be redeemed via the online Giveaway Store for a variety of items. Register today within the 12th Man Mobile app to earn 20 points at the Tennessee match and 40 points at the Georgia match.