The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 16 Rebels Set for Big Weekend
3/11/2015 | Women's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 16 Ole Miss women's tennis team welcomes No. 6 Alabama and No. 31 Auburn this weekend to conclude a four-match homestand.
Friday's match with the Crimson Tide will start at 5 p.m., and will most likely be at the Gillom Sports Center due to the forecasted rain. Sunday's versus Auburn is at 1 p.m., and will be played at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
Fans coming to Friday's match will receive the trading card pack No. 2 and on Sunday, fans will get free Ole Miss wristbands.
"This weekend is a great opportunity for us with two very good teams coming here in Alabama and Auburn," head coach Mark Beyers said. "We've had some close matches against both teams in recent years, and we expect the same this weekend. We want encourage everyone to come out and support the team and watch high-level tennis."
How Sweep It Is ...
Ole Miss swept both No. 44 Arkansas and Missouri last weekend to improve to 10-3 overall and 2-2 in the SEC. Against Arkansas, the Rebels won a tight doubles point and then swept the top three spots, including two huge three-setters at one and three to clinch the win. Against Missouri, the Rebels took the doubles point and then top three singles wins as well to clinch.
Hartono Named SEC Freshman of the Week ...
For the second time this season, Arianne Hartono was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. Hartono went 4-0 in singles and doubles to help lead the Rebels to consecutive sweeps of No. 44 Arkansas and Missouri. The Rebels remained undefeated at home (6-0). The Meppel, Netherlands native dropped only 14 games total in four matches and improved to 16-7 overall, 7-3 at No. 2 singles and 3-1 in the SEC. She also improved to 14-6 in doubles with Mai El Kamash, 7-2 at No. 3, 3-1 in the SEC.
Scouting Alabama ...
Alabama (11-2, 3-1) secured a pair of conference victories over the weekend, knocking off No. 6 Georgia on Friday 5-2, before shutting out Tennessee 4-0 on Sunday. The Tide is led by Erin Routliffe, who is ranked No. 26 with a 16-5 overall record, 7-2 at No. 1 singles. The Tide's No. 1 doubles team of Routliffe and Maya Jansen are ranked No. 9 with a perfect 11-0 record this spring. They won the NCAA Doubles Championship last year. Alabama also boasts two other players in the singles rankings. Jansen is ranked No. 48 and Danielle Spielmann is ranked No. 54.
Series ...
Ole Miss owns a 29-16 lead in the overall series with Alabama, but the Crimson Tide has won four straight, including a 4-0 win last year in Tuscaloosa. The last time the two teams met in Oxford, Alabama escaped with a 4-3 win.
Scouting Auburn ...
Auburn (11-4, 1-3 SEC) picked up its first SEC win of the year, sweeping Tennessee, 4-0. The Tigers took the doubles point from No. 6 Georgia, but ultimately fell 4-1 to the Bulldogs. The Tigers are led by 74th-ranked Pleun Burgmans, who owns a 13-8 overall record, 5-4 at No. 1 singles. Burgmans also teams with Emily Flickinger to form the No. 6 ranked doubles team.
Series ...
The Rebels lead the all-time series 26-15, but the Tigers have won the last two meetings, including a 5-2 victory last year in Auburn. The last time the two teams met in Oxford (2013), Auburn narrowly defeated Ole Miss 4-3.
The 100 Watch ...
At 94 wins on the season, senior Julia Jones only needs six more wins to join the elite 100-club. Jones would be the fifth player in program history to reach this milestone.
National Rankings ...
The Rebels are ranked No. 16 in the latest ITA National Rankings. In the singles rankings, senior Julia Jones is ranked No. 12 and freshman Arianne Hartono is ranked No. 50 and junior Mai El Kamash is ranked No. 100.
Live Coverage ...
If you live out of town and can't make it to the match, you can follow both matches with and on the live blog.
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter, @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis.
