SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant women's tennis team will battle the Auburn Tigers in the First Round of the NCAA tournament on Friday afternoon.

Auburn is the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Match Information
Opponent: Auburn
Date and Time: Friday, May 1^st, 1:00 PM
Location: Yarbrough Tennis Center, Auburn, AL
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Video: Auburn Tigers Live Stream
Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | X

BULLDOG NOTES AND NOTABLES

• Bryant enters the tournament with a 17-7 record. They've won five consecutive matches dating back to April 12th. 
• The Bulldogs captured their second consecutive OVC title, going 3-0 in St. Louis against Tennessee State, SEMO, and SIUE.
• This marks Bryant's tenth NCAA tournament appearance and their fourth as a Division I program, led by head coach Barbara Cilli.
• The Bulldogs fell 4-0 to Duke last season in the First Round. They battled tough against the Blue Devils as Natalia Vela and Maria Jose Hernandez were tied 3-3 in their doubles match before the match was called. Vela, Yahli Noy, and Hernandez all had unfinished matches in singles play.
• The Black and Gold are led by Noy and Vela at No.1 and 2 singles. Noy, a First Team All-OVC selection, is 22-10 overall and 12-6 in dual matches. Vela, a Second Team All-OVC selection, is 13-8 overall and 10-7 in dual matches.
• OVC Freshman of the Year Laura Stypula has also been stellar in singles play. She is 11-9 overall and 9-6 in dual matches.
• The All-OVC Doubles Team of Vela and Hernandez have been dominant at the No.1 spot. The duo is 21-8 overall and 15-5 in dual matches. They're 8-2 in their last 10 dual matches.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• Auburn enters the tournament with a 32-3 record and a 13-2 record in the SEC.
• The Tigers won the SEC Championship for the first time in program history. They went 3-0 against No. 12 Florida, No. 2 Texas A&M, and No. 15 LSU. They're now ranked No. 1 in the ITA National Team Rankings.
• The No. 2 seed is their highest NCAA Championship seed in program history.
• They're a perfect 19-0 at home this season.
• The Tigers have won six consecutive matches.
• This marks Auburn's 19^th NCAA tournament appearance.
• The Tigers are led by DJ Bennett at No. 1 singles, coming in at No. 15 in the ITA National Rankings. She is 18-10 overall, going 16-6 in dual matches, and 7-4 in SEC play.
• Ashton Bowers and Ava Esposito have also been stellar in singles play. Bowers is 29-5 overall, 19-2 in dual matches, and 8-1 in SEC play. Esposito is 27-5 overall, 17-2 in dual matches, and 5-1 in SEC play.
• The doubles team of Bowers and Ekaterina Khairutdinova have been superb. The duo is 26-3 overall, going 22-3 at the No. 3 spot. They were 12-2 in conference play.

Follow Along
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