Women’s Tennis Central: #16 Tennessee vs. #8 Auburn, #45 Alabama

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Back on Rocky Top and gearing up for a big conference weekend, the 12th-ranked Tennessee women’s tennis team welcomes No. 8 Auburn on Friday at 4 p.m. ET and Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The location of both matches is still be determined due to weather. Announcement of the official location, whether at Barksdale Stadium or Goodfriend Tennis Center, will be communicated through the team’s official social media accounts, @Vol_WTennis.

The Lady Vols (11-2, 4-0 SEC) continue to roll in conference play, earning a pair of hard-fought victories on the road last weekend. Tennessee took down Vanderbilt, 4-3, on Friday before besting Kentucky, 4-2, on Sunday.

Sophomore Elza Tomase earned the attention of the league, being named SEC Player of the Week on Wednesday afternoon after yet another stellar set of matches. She is now 7-2 in dual action and has won her last four matches. In those four singles bouts, three have culminated in her defeating a ranked opponent.

Friday’s match will be broadcast on SEC Network+ through Cracked Racquet’s whiparound coverage of conference action.

A PEEK AT THE CHARTS

Last Tuesday, the ITA updated its individual rankings. Below are each team’s ranked singles and doubles players.

Tennessee Lady Volunteers

Singles

#31 Rebeka Mertena

#37 Daria Kuczer

#57 Elza Tomase

Doubles

#55 Esther Adeshina/Rebeka Mertena

Auburn Tigers

Singles

#41 Carolyn Ansari

#46 Ariana Arseneault

Doubles

#20 Carolyn Ansari/Ariana Arseneault

#51 Anastasia Astakhova/Adeline Flach

#64 Adeline Flach/ Angella Okutoyi

Alabama Crimson Tide

Singles

#96 Loudmilla Bencheikh

Doubles

#58 Loudmilla Bencheikh/Anne Marie Hiser

HEAD COACH ALISON OJEDA

“When I was 14 years old, I remember my junior coach telling me, ‘you know you’re good when you can follow up a big win with another good win.’ That has always stuck with me, and that is where our team is at right now. We did a great job beating Vandy and Kentucky, but that was last weekend. We have another exciting opportunity to compete against a well-coached and disciplined team in Auburn and we will either come out hungry or satisfied tomorrow. The only way we give ourselves a shot is if we are hungry.”

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Auburn (13-2, 3-0 SEC) comes into Friday’s match on an eight-match win streak dating back to Feb. 10, its first match at the ITA National Indoor Championships. Three of the Tigers’ last four matches came down to the wire, however, as they defeated North…