March 23, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 8 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team hits the road this weekend to take on No. 11 Auburn Friday at 3 p.m. and No. 45 Alabama Sunday at 1 p.m.
Vandy heads into its fourth weekend of Southeastern Conference play with a 9-5 (4-1) record, having dropped its most recent contest to then-No. 14 Kentucky, 4-2. Following last weekend’s action, four additional SEC teams are tied for first in the conference with only one league loss.
In the latest Oracle/ITA rankings, three Commodores appear in the singles poll with Astra Sharma leading the trio ranked fifth in the country. Senior Sydney Campbell and freshman Christina Rosca follow at No. 12 and No. 93, respectively.
In tandems, Sharma and Emily Smith entered the top 10 for the first time this season. Coming in at No. 8 in the country, the duo’s ranking is the highest career doubles ranking for either student-athlete.
Assessing Auburn:
Sitting at No. 11 in the country, the Tigers will be Vandy’s 11th top-25 opponent this season. Auburn owns an 18-4 (2-3) record, going 0-2 last weekend against No. 22 Texas A&M (4-1) and No. 27 LSU (4-3). Auburn’s two league victories came against Mississippi State and Tennessee.
Auburn has three ranked singles players: Alizee Michaud (34), Andie Dikosavljevic (78) and Taylor Russo (85). In doubles, Michaud and Russo are the No. 14 team in the country, while Caroline Turner and Georgie Axon own the 54th spot.
Last season, the ‘Dores defeated Auburn 4-3 during the regular season and swept the Tigers 4-0 in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2016 NCAA tournament.
Testing the Tide:
Still seeking its first conference victory of the year, Alabama sits at the bottom of the SEC standings. Owning a 0-6 league record, the Tide has dropped four of its six contests in close 4-3 battles.
No. 38 Erin Routliffe is the Tide’s lone ranked singles player. She teams with Maddie Pothoff to form the 25th-ranked doubles squad in the nation.
The ‘Dores have won their past four matchups against Alabama, most recently defeating the squad 6-1 at home.
For updates on the road, follow scoring and steaming live from Auburn and Alabama.