The 12th-ranked Texas A&M women’s tennis team heads into postseason riding an eight-match winning streak along with welcoming back a two-time All-American.
The Aggies (20-6) closed the regular season strong to tie Georgia for the Southeastern Conference title. A&M hasn’t lost since a 4-3 setback to Georgia on March 15.
The second-ranked Aggies will play seventh-seeded Vanderbilt (12-9) at 11 a.m. Friday in the SEC quarterfinals at Georgia’s Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Vandy advanced with a 4-2 victory over 10th-seeded Ole Miss in the second round Thursday.
Friday's other matchups are third-seeded Florida vs. sixth-seeded South Carolina, top-seeded Georgia vs. eighth-seeded LSU and fourth-seeded Tennessee vs. fifth-seeded Auburn.
“There’s nothing like the postseason and our team is excited to compete,” A&M head coach Mark Weaver said. “The SEC Tournament always brings an extra sense of excitement to the air and our group will be ready to go come match time.”
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A&M added graduate Carson Branstine to the roster Monday. She had season-ending hip surgery a year ago in March. She at the time was 7-3 in singles playing on the top line or No. 2. She was ranked 37th. She teamed up with Mary Stoiana in doubles for a 10-0 record and No 3 ranking. When A&M played Oklahoma in the 2022 Elite Eight, Branstine played No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles.
The 23-year-old Branstine had labrum tears in her other hip that required surgery in 2021.
She has a WT singles ranking of No. 492, having played in tournaments as an amateur.
Branstine joins a top-heavy lineup. Top-ranked Stoiana finished the regular season 19-2 in dual match singles.
Nicole Khirin, a transfer from Texas, is ranked 19th in the country, and fellow sophomore Mia Kupres is ranked 41st. Kupres and Stoiana are ranked No. 3 in the country in doubles.