Just over a week after its impressive performance in Evanston, Ill. against top-10 competition, Auburn Women's Tennis headed to Gainesville to face No. 24 Florida in a conference opener for both teams.
The match started in doubles play, where Auburn came out strong. The No. 3 pair, Aston Bowers and Ekaterina Khairutdinova, and the No. 2 pair, Merna Refaat and Angella Okutoyi, both opened with dominant performances, taking early control in their matches.
On Court 1, DJ Bennett and Ava Esposito were dominant. At one point, the Florida duo had the advantage, but the Tigers responded and pulled away to win 6–3. That victory gave Auburn the doubles point and the first lead of the day. Soon after, Khairutdinova and Bowers secured another 6–3 win to keep the momentum going.
Moving into singles play, six Tigers went head-to-head with the Gators. On Court 1, Bennett started strong by taking the first set against Valery Gynina. Refaat and Esposito followed on Courts 4 and 6, each claiming their opening sets.
As the match continued, Auburn kept the pressure on. Esposito earned the first singles victory, pushing the Tigers ahead 2–0. Florida answered back, however, as Okutoyi and Refaat fell on Courts 3 and 4, putting points on the board for the Gators and tightening the match.
But the Tigers weren’t done yet. Bennett, Khairutdinova, and Bowers each secured singles wins, ultimately clinching the team victory for Auburn with a score of 5-2.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will stay on the road, traveling to Norman, Okla. to take on the Sooners on Thursday, Feb. 26.
