ATLANTA (March 1) — Looking to maintain the momentum gained from three straight victories, Georgia Tech’s 49th-ranked women’s tennis team takes on non-conference opponents Auburn and Chattanooga before the Yellow Jackets open Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The Yellow Jackets (5-1), who have shutout their last three opponents, host 48th-ranked Auburn at 12 noon Sunday and Chattanooga at 2 p.m. Monday at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
“I want us to keep the momentum going that we’ve built up as we take on an Auburn team that is ranked ahead of us,” said Tech head coach Bryan Shelton. “I want us to go out and play with confidence. I feel like we have a much better team than our ranking indicates. I believe we are developing into a solid team, so I am looking forward to us stepping up before we get into the ACC matches. I’m expecting Auburn and Chattanooga to be competitive tests for us.”
Six matches into the dual-match season, Shelton’s lineup has taken shape.
Senior Sabrina Pardo (Aix En Provence) has a 5-1 dual-match record at the No. 1 position. All five of her wins have come in straight sets. Junior Bobbi Guthrie (Raleigh, N.C.) is also 5-1 in dual matches playing from the No. 2 slot. Freshmen Mysti Morris (Cartersville, Ga.), Jaime Wong (Delray Beach, Fla.) and Charlotte Pernet (Dijon, France) occupy the middle of the lineup, while sophomore Laura Ozolins (Toronto, Ontario) has played primarily at No. 6.
After some early juggling, Shelton has also found some good combinations in doubles with Guthrie and Pardo at No. 1, Morris and Wong at No. 2 and Ozolins and Pernet at No. 3.
“I think everybody is playing where they should be on our team right now,” Shelton said. “We’re making progress in doubles. I feel good about the teams we’ve put together. We haven’t had any matches come down to doubles yet because we’ve been clinching our matches in singles. It’s just a matter of time before we’ll find out how good we are in doubles when we have to have a win.”
