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Women’s Tennis Kicks Off NCAA Tournament Against Old Dominion Saturday
Women's Tennis  . 

Women’s Tennis Kicks Off NCAA Tournament Against Old Dominion Saturday

Raleigh, N.C. – ­No. 19 South Carolina women’s tennis will face No. 62 Old Dominion in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The two teams met in the same position last season in Chapel Hill with the Monarchs taking the match.

The Gamecocks look to get their revenge and will do so on Saturday, May 4, at 11:00 a.m. at the J. W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Gates will open one hour prior to the match. Fans not in attendance can view live results here and watch live streaming here. The match will also be broadcast by Cracked Racquets on its YouTube page.

Gamecock Notables

  • South Carolina women’s tennis is 17-7 overall this season and went 8-5 in SEC play. They are 4-4 when playing on the road and 2-2 when playing at neutral sites.
  • The Gamecocks have been led this season by the dynamic duo of Ayana Akli and Sarah Hamner. Akli has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation this season and Hamner as high as No. 4.
  • Akli is currently ranked No. 11 and is 26-10 overall. She is 13-6 in dual matches with an 11-6 mark at No. 1 and a 2-0 mark at No. 2.
  • Hamner is No. 19 in the singles rankings and leads the team with a 31-7 record. She is 18-2 in dual matches and went 10-1 against SEC opponents.
  • Graduate transfer Shahar Biran will meet her former team from the other side of the net. The Monarch turned Gamecock went 16-16 overall this season and 11-9 in dual matches, all from the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
  • Akli and Hamner are also ranked together in doubles at No. 28. The duo recently earned a bid to the NCAA Doubles Tournament thanks to their 10-9 record that includes five ranked wins.
  • Akli is also ranked at No. 71 with Olympe Lancelot. The duo has not played together during the latter half of the season but amassed a 7-2 record together with four wins in dual play.

NCAA Tournament History

  • This weekend marks South Carolina’s 29th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The team has been in every tournament since 1995.
  • Since the 64-team format began in 1999, South Carolina has advanced to the Round of 16 or better five times with two appearances in the quarterfinals (2009, 2019).
  • Head coach Kevin Epley has had his team in the tournament every season of his tenure.

Scouting the Monarchs

  • Old Dominion earned an automatic qualifying spot in the NCAA Tournament thanks to their fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference tournament win.
  • The team is 17-5 overall this season and went a perfect 10-0 in conference play. They are 8-3 when playing on the road and 3-1 when playing at neutral sites.
  • The Monarchs enter the NCAA Tournament on a 13-match win streak. Their last loss was 4-2 at then-No. 33 Princeton.

Series History

  • South Carolina and Old Dominion have met three times in recorded history with the first in 1979 with South Carolina winning 9-0.
  • The teams met again in 2012 in Columbia with South Carolina winning 7-0.
  • In the most recent meeting, South Carolina and Old Dominion faced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023 in Chapel Hill. The Monarchs won the matchup 4-2.

For all the latest South Carolina women’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).

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