Women's Tennis Visits Auburn for Pair of Weekend Matches

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Continuing its strenuous five-match road stretch, which includes four Power Five conference opponents, the Belmont University women's tennis team travels to Auburn, Alabama, this weekend for a pair of matches at Auburn's Yarbrough Tennis Center. The Bruins (2-5) take on the University of Alabama at Birmingham Saturday at noon before matching up with ninth-ranked Auburn Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
 
Sunday's match against the host Tigers will be streamed live online and live scoring can be followed at BelmontBruins.com.
 
Belmont is looking to snap its four-match slide after beginning the season 2-1. Last weekend, the Bruins battled Southeastern Conference mainstays Mississippi State and Ole Miss in the Magnolia State. Against the Bulldogs last Friday, Belmont took the doubles point and two of the six singles matches went unfinished. The Bruins then forced a third set in the top three singles matches last Saturday versus the Rebels.
 
Right before the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, Belmont dropped a 4-1 decision at UAB.
 
The Blazers are off to a 4-3 start with wins over Alabama State (4-0), North Alabama (4-1), Georgia State (4-1) and Samford (4-3). UAB has won both of its last two outings, including a 4-3 victory against crosstown foe Samford Wednesday afternoon. Of the Blazers' seven matches this season, six have been away from home where UAB has gone 3-3.
 
Top-10 ranked Auburn owns an impressive 7-2 record on the year and is fresh off competing at the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Indoor Championship last weekend in Seattle, Washington. Going 2-1 across the weekend at the indoor championship, the Tigers defeated 17th-ranked San Diego 4-3 last Saturday before upending eighth-ranked Pepperdine 4-2 last Sunday.
 
Auburn's only two losses this season have come to top-15 opponents. The nationally-ranked Tigers were topped 6-1 by No. 2 North Carolina in Auburn on Jan. 22 and were shut out 4-0 by 11th-ranked Ohio State last Friday in Seattle at the ITA National Indoor Championship.
 
Auburn features a trio of nationally-ranked singles players and two nationally-ranked doubles pairs. Junior Ariana Arseneault, who is 5-2 at No. 1 singles, is ranked 67th in the nation, while freshman Kaitlyn Carnicella, who is 5-4 in dual matches on the year, is ranked 95th. Senior Carolyn Ansari is ranked 103rd in the country with a 5-2 record at No. 2 singles. The top doubles duo of Ansari and Arseneault is ranked ninth nationally and senior Anastasia Astakhova and junior Adeline Flach are ranked 36th.
 
Up Next
The Bruins close out their five-match road stretch next Sunday, Feb. 26 at Indiana University. First serve from the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington, Indiana, is slated for 10 a.m.
 
Follow Belmont women's tennis on social media – @BelmontWTennis on Twitter and @belmontwtennis on Instagram – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.