Missouri women’s tennis (11-14) dropped both matches played this past weekend, extending its losing streak to 11 matches.
The team is 0-11 against Southeastern Conference opponents with just two conference matches remaining.
After being swept 4-0 by No. 12 Florida two weekends ago, the team came home for a weekend tilt against the No. 15 Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The match against Auburn started on a positive note for the Tigers, with senior Amina Ismail and sophomore Serena Nash winning the first doubles match of the day, 6-2.
However, Auburn battled back and won the next double’s match against senior Clare Raley and freshman Marta Oliveira, 7-5. In a tight finish, sophomore Mackenzy Middlebrooks and freshman Ellie Wright lost 6-4, and Auburn took a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
In singles play, Auburn jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Missouri, with freshman Taylor Gruber and Ismail both losing their respective matches. But Missouri didn’t go down quietly, tying singles play 2-2 after Middlebrooks and Nash took down their opponents. Wright nearly gave her team the edge after winning her first set 6-4, but lost her final two 6-2 and 7-5. Mizzou lost the match, 4-2.
On Sunday afternoon, the Tigers celebrated Senior Day with a match against the Alabama Crimson Tide. To start their final home match of the season, the Tigers won the doubles point for the first time in five matches. Middlebrooks and Wright came out swinging and finished their doubles match with a dominant 6-1 win. Following them was Ismail and Nash, who secured the doubles point with a 6-3 victory.
With a 1-0 lead on the day, Missouri shifted its focus to singles play once again.
Alabama didn’t seem to take kindly to losing the doubles point though, as the Tide riddled off four wins in singles, with Gruber, Nash, Ismail and Wright all losing. Middlebrooks was the only Tiger to secure a win during singles, and Mizzou fell to Alabama 4-2.
The Tigers have four matches left to try and end the year with a winning record. The team will face No. 31 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Thursday at 5 p.m. in its next match.
_Edited by Joe Noser | jnoser@themaneater.com_