No. 1 Auburn women’s tennis’ historic season ended in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday night, falling 4-1 to No. 4 Texas A&M in the national title match.
“I’m really proud of my girls. We had a historic season,” Auburn coach Jordan Szabo said. “I don’t feel like we played our best tennis tonight. After the rain delay, we came out with a lot of momentum. Then the momentum really switched, and that becomes a challenging position to be in. Not our best performance but Texas A&M are hugely deserving winners.”
Auburn dropped the doubles point for just the third time this season, falling 6-1 on Court 3 as Lucciana Perez and Mia Kupres clinched the point for the Aggies, signaling the Tigers would be in for a battle.
Just as singles play began, and Auburn held a lead on three courts, lightning delayed the match for 60 minutes.
After the delay, the squads split the first sets before Texas A&M took a 2-0 lead via Violeta Martinez’s 7-5, 6-1 win at the No. 5 position.
Auburn’s lone point of the match came courtesy of Angella Okutoyi, who won 6-2, 6-2 to earn her 16th consecutive victory. The senior ended her season with a 23-2 record in dual matches.
Texas A&M followed that by taking the point at the No. 4 position, making it a must-win scenario for Auburn in the final three matches.
The Aggies clinched their second national title in three years at the No. 6 position as Daria Smetannikov took down Ava Esposito 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
In just his second season on the Plains, Szabo took Auburn tennis farther than it has ever been and won the program’s first SEC regular-season championship and first conference tournament title.
“We want to be back here next year,” Szabo said. “We’re going to find ways to get better so we’re out there and not in here. For the girls coming back, we’ve got to let this be fuel to help us grow and get better. These amazing moments we had this year can be memories we have forever.”
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Rory Garvin, junior in journalism sports production, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since Spring 2025. Garvin previously served as a Sports Reporter. He is currently serving as the Assistant Sports Editor.
