Friday, April 6
Columbia, Mo.
3 PM
University of Missouri
vs
(#17) Auburn
@MizzouTennis Prepares for Final Home Weekend
4/5/2018 2:52:00 PM | Tennis
Tigers host No. 17 Auburn Friday, Alabama Sunday
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou Tennis team (11-12, 0-9 SEC) returns to the Mizzou Tennis Complex for its final two home matches of the season. The Tigers welcome No. 17 Auburn (16-9, 4-5) on Friday at 3 p.m., then wrap up the home schedule vs. Alabama (13-12, 0-9) on Sunday at Noon.
HONORING THE SENIORS (AND OTHER PROMOTIONS)
- There are several fan promotions for this final weekend of home matches.
- Friday's match vs. Auburn is Mizzou's Pink Out match. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to help with raising cancer awareness.
- The first 50 students at both matches will receive free pizza. In addition, all fans can enter to win a $50 gift card to the Tiger Team Store.
- Finally, fans are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 a.m. on Sunday in time to recognize senior co-captains Amina Ismail (Maineville, Ohio) and Clare Raley (Atlanta, Ga.).
KILLER SCHEDULE CONTINUES
- Mizzou's 2018 schedule continues to pack a wallop. The Tigers' last nine matches – and 11 of its last 12 – have come against teams in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national rankings.
- As the nation's premier tennis conference, the SEC leads all leagues with 11 teams in this week's ITA national rankings.
- Friday's match vs. No. 17 Auburn is the last of five consecutive matches against a team ranked in the top 25. Next weekend, Mizzou wraps up the SEC regular season at No. 31 Tennessee and No. 7 Georgia.
- Mizzou is 11-1 vs. unranked competition this season, and Alabama will be the Tigers' first such unranked opponent since Feb. 25 vs. UMKC, which Mizzou won, 4-0.
DOUBLING UP
- Doubles continues to be the strength of the Tigers, as Mizzou has won the doubles point in 14 of 23 matches this season. In all, Mizzou's doubles teams are 50-39 (.562) on the year, and 35-26 (.574) in dual play.
- Middlebrooks and Wright lead the way with 19 doubles wins each on the season. Sixteen of those have come with each other, including a 15-2 mark in dual play.
- They've won eight of their last 10 doubles decisions.
- Sophomore Serena Nash (Bradford, England) is close behind with 16 total doubles wins.
FIVE NEWCOMERS
- Second-year Head Coach Colt Gaston has assembled a mix of veteran talent and young newcomers with this season's roster.
- Four Tigers – Nash, a sophomore transfer from Oklahoma; and freshmen Wright, Marta Oliveira (Lisbon, Portugal) and Ally Noback (Alpharetta, Ga.) – made their team debuts in the fall.
- A fifth – Taylor Gruber (Spicewood, Texas) – signed with Mizzou in November, graduated early from high school and joined the team in January.
- The newcomers have accounted for nearly half (35) of the Tigers' 72 singles wins this season, and have had a hand in 47 of the team's 50 doubles victories.
SCOUTING AUBURN
- After starting the conference schedule 5-1, the Tigers have lost their last four SEC matches.
- Auburn's only ranked singles player is No. 39 Jaeda Daniel, who is slotted to play at No. 2 on Friday. Like Mizzou, Auburn does not have a ranked doubles pairing.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
- The Crimson Tide are in a similar boat as Mizzou, winless in SEC play and with only one win – a 4-0 triumph over UT Martin on March 10 – since the end of February.
- Bama's No. 1 player, Andie Daniell, moved into the ITA singles rankings this week at No. 91. The Tide do not have a ranked doubles team.
For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to mutigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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