The women’s tennis team swept the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships this weekend. Junior Courtney McLane and sophomore Alexa Guarachi placed first in the doubles competition, and freshman Mary Anne Macfarlane brought home the singles title.
This is the first time in school history the Crimson Tide has claimed both titles at the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships.
“This weekend was a huge step forward for our program and for the team,” head coach Jenny Mainz said. “This was a breakthrough tournament for us, and we hope to carry this momentum on to the spring season.”
The USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships was a crucial tournament for Alabama’s season. Most of the SEC West competed in the tournament.
“We wanted to establish ourselves in the West at this tournament,” Mainz said. “This tournament was a good indicator of how we are going to play in the fall.”
McLane and Guarachi defeated Mississippi’s doubles team 8-6. Macfarlane defeated Connor Vogel 6-3, 7-6. Doubles partners McLane and Guarachi opened well, but found themselves down 6-5. However, a great return on Mississippi’s serve gave McLane and Guarachi the momentum they needed to take the lead.
“The girls did a great job of staying focused and keeping their poise,” assistant coach Rahim Esmail said. “It is good to see them overcome the adversities of the match.”
In singles competition, Macfarlane’s performance was also exceptional. She won her first three matches, 6-0, 6-0. On her way to the top, she also defeated the No. 20 player in the country, 6-1, 6-1.
“Mary Anne did an excellent job of opening strong and being unrelenting,” Mainz said.
The tournament winners were not the only Tide players to perform well. Sophomore Tiffany Welcher reached the finals Monday in the consolation draw. Welcher narrowly lost to Auburn freshman Jackie Kasler, 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (8).
“I am pleased with Tiffany’s progress,” Mainz said. “She brought her best when it was needed.”
The Tide’s next tournament is the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships. The USTA/ITA will also be the last event the Tide will play in during the fall season. Qualifying for the National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships is difficult. For this competition, there are only 32 singles draws and 16 doubles draws.
“We can be a breakthrough team at the National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships,” Mainz said. “If we continue to put ourselves in the best position possible to capitalize on opportunities, we will do well in the fall.”
The women’s tennis team is confident they will perform well at the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.
“It is encouraging to be on the cutting edge with the best of the best at the national indoor,” Mainz said. “This competition would be a great place for us to perform well.”
