| UCSB at #10 UCF Friday, Jan. 28 | 10:00 AM LIVE STATS | WATCH | #25 Auburn vs. Arizona State Friday, Jan. 28 | 1:00 PM LIVE STATS | WATCH |
| Consolation Match Saturday, Jan. 29 | 10:00 AM LIVE STATS | WATCH | Championship Match Saturday, Jan. 29 | 1:00 PM LIVE STATS | WATCH |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 10 UCF women's tennis team is set to host the ITA Kickoff Weekend for the first time in program history, welcoming UC Santa Barbara, No. 25 Auburn, and Arizona State on Friday and Saturday, January 28-29, at the USTA National Campus.
UCF will take on UCSB in the opening match on Friday, January 28, at 10:00 a.m. before playing either Auburn or Arizona State the following day, depending on the result of each match. The two winners from day one will face off in the championship match on January 29 as they'll look to punch their ticket to ITA National Indoors.
Admission to each match is free for all spectators. Additionally, all matches will have live stats and will be live streamed.
UCF cracked into the top 10 in this week's ITA Team Rankings at No. 10, continuing to be the highest-ranked Florida team this season after a 4-3 win over Penn in its season opener last week. The team came out strong and clinched the match at 4-0. Nandini Sharma picked up a pair of wins with a 6-2, 6-2 decision on court six in singles and a dominating 6-0 win in doubles with teammate Sophia Biolay.
Three Knights are ranked in singles with Evgeniya Levashova ranked No. 37 followed by No. 64 Valeriya Zeleva and No. 102 Marie Mattel. Two tandems are ranked as well. The duo of Levashova and Zeleva earned the 50th spot while Mattel and Nandini Sharma are closely behind at No. 55.
THE FIELD
THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara is 1-1 so far this season, falling to #9 Cal, 6-1, while defeating St. Mary's, 4-0.
The Gauchos are the defending Big West Champions after going 13-4 overall and 8-0 in conference play last season. UCSB boasts the reigning Big West Player of the Year in Shakhnoza Khatamova and the Big West Freshman of the Year, Camille Kiss.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
THE TIGERS
No. 25 Auburn is off to a strong start with a 2-0 record on the season after a pair of wins over Furman, 4-3, and UAB, 7-0, on its home court.
Two Tigers are ranked in singles: No. 79 Selin Ovunc and No. 115 Carolyn Ansari.
Last season, Auburn topped No. 37 Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 7 Florida State in the second round.
Auburn leads the all-time series between the two teams, 2-0.
THE SUN DEVILS
Arizona State is undefeated so far this season, 3-0, and have not lost a single point after defeating Northern Arizona, 7-0, Colorado State, 4-0, and New Mexico State, 4-0.
Last season, Arizona State topped No. 38 Mississippi State, 4-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 2 Texas in the second round.
The Knights and Sun Devils have never faced each other.
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