What’s working for Auburn in the NCAA Tournament — and how the Tigers can keep it going in the Sweet Sixteen
Auburn blew past what looked like a formidable opponent in Miami in the round of 32. Here’s what’s working so well for the Tigers — and how they can keep it up as the NCAA Tournament rolls on.
Miami was no slouch.
Auburn head coach Jordan Szabo was quick to say that after Saturday’s win, and the Hurricanes’ resume affirms it. Miami’s been to 15 Sweet Sixteens in the last 24 years under head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. They had No. 5 North Carolina on the ropes in a tight 4-3 loss in April, and had to have every confidence they could put together another performance like that against another top-five team in Auburn in the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. They’d won one match in the ACC Tournament before falling to Duke — a nationally seeded at No. 15. In fact, for Miami’s seven losses this season entering Saturday’s match, six of them had come against top-25 teams in the ITA rankings. Miami boasts a win earlier against the tournament’s No. 8 overall seed, NC State.
But Auburn was better.
Auburn blew by Miami to win the doubles point, then won the opening set on five singles courts before ultimately clinching a 4-0 sweep Saturday. As formidible as the Hurricanes looked, Auburn dismantled them, in doubles then singles. Ashton Bowers, Angella Okutoyi then Kayta Khairutdinova all won in staight sets in singles to clinch it. “Just a very impressive day by everyone,” Szabo said standing on the courts at Yarbrough Tennis Center after the match, the Tigers victorious and looking every bit up to their high seeding and high ranking on the way to the Sweet Sixteen. Auburn advanced to face that Duke team next weekend in Super Regionals at home.
Auburn in its first two wins in the NCAA Tournament has yet to drop a point in the team tally: Saturday’s sweep over Miami in the round of 32 came after a shutout first-round win over Bryant 4-0 on Friday.
“Everyone’s mindset was really good,” said Okutoyi, Auburn’s steady Court 3 senior. “We all wanted to go out there and play our tennis and just be — I don’t know — be fierce. And that’s what we did.”
Here’s a look at why Auburn was able to win so convincingly, and what’s working for the Tigers — and how they can keep it going next weekend in the Super Regional round: