Much like the men’s team, the women’s team recognizes the importance of the rivalry, but also said No. 14 Auburn is just another match on the schedule.
“It’s an important match, but we try to treat it like it’s any other opponent,” sophomore Bennett Dunn said. “We have to try and keep focused on playing the match.”
The women’s team travels to Auburn with a nine-match losing streak, but that hasn’t affected the optimism surrounding the team.
“We always try to end playing our best tennis,” Dunn said. “Doesn’t matter how we start, we just want to finish the season strong.”
The team has been trying different things out in order to attempt to turn around its misfortunes. One of them has been shifts in the lineup. Junior Erin Routliffe started out the year playing at the number two singles spot but has now swapped with freshman Andie Daniell to play the number one spot. Dunn has swapped in and out of the number six spot with sophomore Aryn Greene.
The changes aren’t just in singles. Routliffe and Daniell were playing number one doubles, with junior Joanna Nena Savva and junior Danielle Spielmann at the number two spot. Greene and Dunn played at the number three spot. Now, Routliffe and senior Natalia Maynetto play number one, Greene and Savva play number two, and Daniell and Spielmann play number three.
“We’re just trying to find a lineup that works,” coach Jenny Mainz said. “I think the groups we have now have some real chemistry that they can build off of.”
To close out the regular season, the Crimson Tide will play five top-25 teams, including three top-10 teams, in a row, and it all starts with the Tigers for the Iron Bowl.
“We love playing each other,” Routliffe said. “I know our team is excited and their team is excited, so we’ll just have to go out and play our best tennis.”
