Saturday, April 18
Norman, Okla.
12:00 PM
Texas A&M
1
vs
4
Auburn
Photo by: Oklahoma Athletics
Aggies Exit SEC Championship in Semifinal Round
Apr 18, 2026 | Women's Tennis
NORMAN – The No. 2 Texas A&M women's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision to the No. 3 Auburn Tigers in Saturday's SEC Championship semifinal action at Oklahoma's Headington Family Tennis Center.
After fighting off a handful of match points, Violeta Martinez succumbed to No. 55 Ashton Bowers attack on court 5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 as Auburn (31-3) picked up the win. After an impressive showing in the second set to pull even, Martinez fell behind 5-0 in the decisive stanza, before clawing her way back, claiming three straight games.
No. 111 Daria Smetannikov earned the lone point of the match for Texas A&M (22-5). She topped No. 64 Ava Esposito, 6-4, 6-1 on court 6 less than a minute after Auburn claimed a 3-0 advantage.
The first singles win went to the Tigers on court 3. No. 70 Angella Okutyoyi was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over No. 62 Ilinca Amariei. Merna Refaat topped No. 123 Lexington Reed, 6-2, 6-4, on court 4 to put Auburn one point from advancing to the title match.
The Aggies let the doubles point slip away. Texas A&M got the upper hand early when Reed/Smetannikov made quick work of Bowers/Ekaterina Khairutdinova on court 3, 6-1. Auburn knotted the doubles with No. 2 DJ Bennett/Esposito topping No. 15 Mia Kupres/Lucciana Perez on court 1, 6-4. The Aggies' No. 47 Amariei/Martinez led on court 2, 5-2, but No. 18 Okutoyi/Refaat won five straight games to take the point.
The first two courts were embroiled in battle when the contest halted. No. 1 Perez nosed ahead of No. 23 Bennett on the show court, 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-0. No. 41 Kupres and No. 28 Khairutdinova were locked in a stalemate, 4-6, 7-6(6), and headed to a third.
UP NEXT...
The Aggies learn their postseason assignment during the NCAA Division I Women's Championship Selection Show Monday April 27 at 4:30 p.m.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Weaver
On what made the difference in Saturday's match...
"I think the doubles went a long way. We played a really good doubles point. We had doubles match points at 5-2 and 5-4 and couldn't finish. I give Auburn the credit. I didn't think we necessarily did anything wrong in the doubles, they just kind of took it from us in the big points. In singles we fought very hard, but we just dug ourselves in too big of a hole. We fought back, but unfortunately Auburn was a little too good for us today. There were definitely some tough conditions out there. It was a little disappointing for such a big match to be played in such rough conditions, but at the end of the day it was the same for both sides. Auburn was just too good for us today."
#3 Auburn 4, #2 Texas A&M 1
SEC Championship - Semifinal
Headington Family Tennis Center – Norman, Oklahoma
SINGLES
#1 Lucciana Perez (A&M) vs. #23 DJ Bennett (AU) – 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-0, unfinished
#41 Mia Kupres (A&M) vs. #28 Ekaterina Khairutdinova (AU) – 4-6, 7-6(6), unfinished
#70 Angella Okutoyi (AU) def. #62 Ilinca Amariei (A&M) – 6-3, 6-1
Merna Refaat (AU) def. #123 Lexington Reed (A&M) – 6-2, 6-4
#55 Ashton Bowers (AU) def. Violeta Martinez (A&M) – 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
#111 Daria Smetannikov (A&M) def. #64 Ava Esposito (AU) – 6-4, 6-1
Order – 3,4,6,5
DOUBLES
#2 Bennett/Esposito (AU) def. #15 Perez/Kupres (A&M) – 6-4
#18 Okutoyi/Refaat (AU) def. #47 Martinez/Amariei (A&M) – 7-5
Reed/Smetannikov (A&M) vs. Bowers/Khairutdinova (AU) – 6-1
Order – 3,1,2
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on X by following @AggieWTEN.
After fighting off a handful of match points, Violeta Martinez succumbed to No. 55 Ashton Bowers attack on court 5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 as Auburn (31-3) picked up the win. After an impressive showing in the second set to pull even, Martinez fell behind 5-0 in the decisive stanza, before clawing her way back, claiming three straight games.
No. 111 Daria Smetannikov earned the lone point of the match for Texas A&M (22-5). She topped No. 64 Ava Esposito, 6-4, 6-1 on court 6 less than a minute after Auburn claimed a 3-0 advantage.
The first singles win went to the Tigers on court 3. No. 70 Angella Okutyoyi was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over No. 62 Ilinca Amariei. Merna Refaat topped No. 123 Lexington Reed, 6-2, 6-4, on court 4 to put Auburn one point from advancing to the title match.
The Aggies let the doubles point slip away. Texas A&M got the upper hand early when Reed/Smetannikov made quick work of Bowers/Ekaterina Khairutdinova on court 3, 6-1. Auburn knotted the doubles with No. 2 DJ Bennett/Esposito topping No. 15 Mia Kupres/Lucciana Perez on court 1, 6-4. The Aggies' No. 47 Amariei/Martinez led on court 2, 5-2, but No. 18 Okutoyi/Refaat won five straight games to take the point.
The first two courts were embroiled in battle when the contest halted. No. 1 Perez nosed ahead of No. 23 Bennett on the show court, 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-0. No. 41 Kupres and No. 28 Khairutdinova were locked in a stalemate, 4-6, 7-6(6), and headed to a third.
UP NEXT...
The Aggies learn their postseason assignment during the NCAA Division I Women's Championship Selection Show Monday April 27 at 4:30 p.m.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Weaver
On what made the difference in Saturday's match...
"I think the doubles went a long way. We played a really good doubles point. We had doubles match points at 5-2 and 5-4 and couldn't finish. I give Auburn the credit. I didn't think we necessarily did anything wrong in the doubles, they just kind of took it from us in the big points. In singles we fought very hard, but we just dug ourselves in too big of a hole. We fought back, but unfortunately Auburn was a little too good for us today. There were definitely some tough conditions out there. It was a little disappointing for such a big match to be played in such rough conditions, but at the end of the day it was the same for both sides. Auburn was just too good for us today."
#3 Auburn 4, #2 Texas A&M 1
SEC Championship - Semifinal
Headington Family Tennis Center – Norman, Oklahoma
SINGLES
#1 Lucciana Perez (A&M) vs. #23 DJ Bennett (AU) – 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-0, unfinished
#41 Mia Kupres (A&M) vs. #28 Ekaterina Khairutdinova (AU) – 4-6, 7-6(6), unfinished
#70 Angella Okutoyi (AU) def. #62 Ilinca Amariei (A&M) – 6-3, 6-1
Merna Refaat (AU) def. #123 Lexington Reed (A&M) – 6-2, 6-4
#55 Ashton Bowers (AU) def. Violeta Martinez (A&M) – 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
#111 Daria Smetannikov (A&M) def. #64 Ava Esposito (AU) – 6-4, 6-1
Order – 3,4,6,5
DOUBLES
#2 Bennett/Esposito (AU) def. #15 Perez/Kupres (A&M) – 6-4
#18 Okutoyi/Refaat (AU) def. #47 Martinez/Amariei (A&M) – 7-5
Reed/Smetannikov (A&M) vs. Bowers/Khairutdinova (AU) – 6-1
Order – 3,1,2
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on X by following @AggieWTEN.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2
#1 Singles Match
1234
DJ Bennett / 0 (23/-) [AUB]
270UF
662UF
#2 Singles Match
123
E. Khairutdinova / 0 (28/-) [AUB]
66UF
47UF
#3 Singles Match
12
Angella Okutoyi / 0 (70/-) [AUB]
66
31
#4 Singles Match
12
Merna Refaat / 0 [AUB]
66
24
#5 Singles Match
123
Ashton Bowers / 0 (55/-) [AUB]
626
363
#6 Singles Match
12
Ava Esposito / 0 (64/-) [AUB]
41
66
Order of Finish:
3,4,6,5
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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