Tech Dealt Setback Tuesday at No. 4 Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. – Georgia Tech women’s tennis fell 6-1 in its first road match day of the spring Tuesday afternoon at No. 4 Auburn. 

The fourth-ranked TIgers (7-0, 0-0 SEC) secured the doubles point via wins by #59 DJ Bennet/Ava Esposito over Tech’s Taly Licht/Olivia Carneiro, 6-2, and Merna Refaat/Angella Okutoyi over Alejandra Cruz/Sabritt Dozier, 6-1. 

Cruz captured the only singles victory for Tech (1-1, 0-0 ACC) on the day with a 6-3, 0-6, 1-0 (10-8) win over DJ Bennett. Licht (GT) fell 6-4, 6-1 to Ekaterine Khairutdinova while Carneiro (GT) lost to Merna Refaat, 6-3, 6-1. Dozier and Eleni Karantali (GT) were both dealt losses in their matches as well. Given Roach fell to Angella Okutoyi 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6). 

Results 

Doubles 

1. #59 DJ Bennett/Ava Esposito (AUB) def. Taly Licht/Olivia Carneiro (GT) 6-2 

1. Given Roach/Eleni Karantali (GT) vs. Ekaterina Khairutdinova/Ashton Bowers (AUB), 5-3 

1. Merna Refaat/Angella Okutoyi (AUB) def. Alejandra Cruz/Sabritt Dozier (GT) 6-1 

Order of finish: 3,1 

Singles 

1. Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. DJ Bennett (AUB), 6-3, 0-6, 1-0 (10-8) 

1. Ekaterina Khairutdinova (AUB) def. Taly Licht (GT) 6-4, 6-1 

1. Angella Okutoyi (AUB) def. Given Roach (GT) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 1-0 (10-6) 

1. Merna Refaat (AUB) def. Olivia Carneiro (GT) 6-3, 6-1 

1. #27 Ashton Bowers (AUB) def. Sabritt Dozier (GT) 6-2, 6-1 

1. #28 Ava Esposito (AUB) def. Eleni Karantali (GT) 6-4, 6-3 

Order of finish: 2, 5, 6, 4, 1, 3 

Tech begins play at the ITA Kickoff Weekend Saturday, Jan. 24 against UC Santa Barbara in Columbus, Ohio. 

Full Steam Ahead 

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online. 

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