Going into Sunday’s semifinals, the Alabama women’s tennis team had won 12 matches on Friday and 13 matches on Saturday. During Alabama’s last match on Sunday, Danielle Spielmann lost to Auburn’s Pleun Burgmans. Ole Miss’ Julia Jones and Burgmans will be advancing to Monday’s singles finals.
“I thought Danielle played an impeccable match,” coach Jenny Mainz said. “She had a hard time with her serve, but that’s the best match I’ve seen in the whole tournament and I am very proud of Danielle.”
Alabama’s Maya Jansen and Erin Routliffe will play Monday in the doubles final match against Auburn’s Emily Flickinger and Burgmans. Ranked No. 1 in doubles, Jansen and Routliffe need to be aggressive, make first serves and make decisive returns, Mainz said.
Although both Routliffe and Jansen played in the singles portion of the tournament, both girls agree they’d rather play as doubles than singles.
“It’s easier to have someone else on your court and on your side with you,” Jansen said.
With Jansen and Routliffe playing together Monday at the Alabama Tennis Stadium as the tournament comes to an end, the doubles team has the chance to win and have a good fall season to look back on as spring approaches.
“This fall has been a little bit up and down, to be honest,” Mainz said. “We’re kind of trying to find our stride, and we’re really trying to find our identity as a team. We’re getting there – sometimes you just have to sort of find your way through it, and I think we’re doing that.”
