millertime40 said:

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taylorswift13_ said:

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INDOOR FACILITY NOW

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Everyone tweet at Alberts !!!! I sure did, it's utterly ridiculous

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I did as well

bigfoot10s said:

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millertime40 said:

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taylorswift13_ said:

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INDOOR FACILITY NOW

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Everyone tweet at Alberts !!!! I sure did, it's utterly ridiculous

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I did as well

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Just did!

Aggie Tennis said:

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Chruchie said:

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i think Daria rises to the occasion in these scenarios. she has done incredibly at 6 this year and had a fall last night. she has turned it on when we needed her the most, and i believe she and the whole team saw the crowd yesterday and want to silence them.

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I'm with you!

Not counting out a single player on this team.

If Mia and Daria show up as the best versions of themselves, Georgia is in trouble.

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Good call Churchie.

Mia and Daria showed up as the best versions of themselves.

And they took down the dawgs.

Chapa96 said:

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Ok. How do we match up against Auburn?

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lost doubles both times we played them this year.

Same theme as the last few matches during the NCAA run.

TBH I think it puts a little bit extra pressure on Auburn to win the doubles again. We know if we lose the doubles we still have a good chance of winning. So that makes it imperative for Auburn to win the doubles. If we somehow win the doubles, I think we roll.

millertime40 said:

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I am watching lu play that third set and wow, she just started bludgeoning the ball down 3-1 and hitting her spots with no errors. Unbelievable to watch

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Lulu is a special talent. And has developed unbelievably. From playing on the 5 line her freshman year to being the number 1 player in the country….really a testament to Mark Weaver's development program.

gunan01 said:

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millertime40 said:

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I am watching lu play that third set and wow, she just started bludgeoning the ball down 3-1 and hitting her spots with no errors. Unbelievable to watch

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Lulu is a special talent. And has developed unbelievably. From playing on the 5 line her freshman year to being the number 1 player in the country….really a testament to Mark Weaver's development program.

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This is true but she's also elite in how she trains, how hard she works, and how hard she studies the game. You can have all the talent and coaching in the world, but if you're lazy and don't have the drive…..you will never reach your potential. She's unique in so many ways. A class act and a great leader on and off the court.

VAMOS pic.twitter.com/1I4egodmAC

— Texas A&M Women's Tennis (@AggieWTEN) May 17, 2026

WALK IN YO TRAP, TAKE OVER YO TRAP pic.twitter.com/TnFrWzraAZ

— Texas A&M Women's Tennis (@AggieWTEN) May 17, 2026

Look at what it means. 🎾

Lucciana Perez defends her undefeated season while sending the Aggies back to the NCAA National Championship Finals for the third straight year. #WeAreCollegeTennis pic.twitter.com/Pf7wc5brNr

— ITA (@ITA_Tennis) May 17, 2026

Playing for a trophy tomorrow! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/zMS27FA35W

— Texas A&M Women's Tennis (@AggieWTEN) May 17, 2026

I just pulled up to my hotel and there's a darn armadillo in the pet walking area. Complete take over.even he knows we run this state.

Chick-fil-A and Georgia Tennis are not open on Sundays.

I'm trying to think of an Aggie sporting event that had such high level competition taking place by every athlete.

The last two playing were on fumes. Watching the Georgia player smell alcohol multiple times to keep her senses was nuts. Daria and V playing two three setters in a row in that heat and not looking phased or tired at all is amazing.

What a program, I hope they are able to finish it today.

Absolutely brilliant win ladies.

Looking back at results vs Auburn Im thinking doubles will come down to line 1. If they all can play to their potential we have this!!! Lu will be Lu. Need last night's Mia. Need Friday nights Ilinca. Lex to stay consistent and close out sets when she's up. Vi to stay tough! And Daria to play lights out knowing it's her last match as an Aggie! What a ride it has been these last few years. I've been following closely. It truely will be a story book ending they get to relive and tell as the years go by.

This match needs to be shown to every single team on campus (aside volleyball lol). The determination, the grit, the heart these women showed last night was almost indescribable. The character of these girls was beautiful and it makes you proud of your school. Tonight will be tough, but I'd never bet against us or count us out! I believe!

Late into the second set Lucciana couldn't even put weight on her left leg. She had trouble standing. No medical timeout, no break, she fought through. The team needed her and she refused to quit or even slow down. Absolutely incredible!!!

Volleyball players I have no doubt were watching it. Many have posted about it on SM. Coach Morrison attends their matches when he's able to.

I want to give special credit to Daria for her gutsy win last night. Came through with her senior experience in a must-win match with her opponent trying to jazz up the home crowd after every point.

Daria has been hot and cold over the years, but yesterday she showed nerves of steel. Lulu's heroics don't happen without Daria's win to even the match 3-3.

LB12MEEN said:

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Volleyball players I have no doubt were watching it. Many have posted about it on SM. Coach Morrison attends their matches when he's able to.

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volleyball and women's tennis supporting each other? The two most successful team programs on campus the last 3-4 years.

The rest of campus could learn a lesson……

https://instagr.am/p/DX4q1Tujpmd

Coach Morrison was at the championship last year, I think he has an excuse not to come this time.

Mark motivated for this one!!

Weaver will now face his former associate head coach Jordan Szabo, who left for Auburn immediately after Texas A&M had won their first national championship in 2024.

"I'm not surprised," Weaver said of the prospect of facing Szabo so soon with a national championship on the line. "His athletic director called me and asked if Jordan Szabo can win us a national title and I said, yes he could. Jordan's a coach willing to do anything and everything to win. He's in the finals and we're looking forward to a battle tomorrow."

As he left the press conference, Weaver added, "I can explain to you what that means if you like."

Aggie Tennis said:

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Mark motivated for this one!!

Weaver will now face his former associate head coach Jordan Szabo, who left for Auburn immediately after Texas A&M had won their first national championship in 2024.

"I'm not surprised," Weaver said of the prospect of facing Szabo so soon with a national championship on the line. "His athletic director called me and asked if Jordan Szabo can win us a national title and I said, yes he could. Jordan's a coach willing to do anything and everything to win. He's in the finals and we're looking forward to a battle tomorrow."

As he left the press conference, Weaver added, "I can explain to you what that means if you like."

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DAMN!!! Let's take them down!!

Worth posting the full recap. Better than what I'd write.

What an epic win!!!


Auburn may have expected to have a rematch with Georgia, given the home crowd advantage the Bulldogs would have Saturday evening and the four-hour match ending after midnight that Georgia's opponent Texas A&M had precious little time to recover from.

But the loud and invested Georgia crowd couldn't rattle the Aggies, who came from 3-1 down to earn a 4-3 victory, with Lucciana Perez fighting through cramps to clinch the match with a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 win over Anastasiia Lopata at line 1.

The crowd, a bit smaller than the 2000 in attendance Friday night, was buoyant after Georgia dominated in doubles, but A&M diffused that excitement when they took the first three sets in singles. Georgia won two tiebreakers and a quick first set from Sofia Rojas at line 5 to claim the next three first sets, so Texas A&M would need to force at least one third set somewhere.

Deniz Dilek made it 2-0 Georgia with a 7-6(3), 6-1 win over Ilinca Amariei, but Mia Kupres put Texas A&M on the board with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Aysegul Mert at line 2. Emma Dong made it 3-1 Georgia with a 7-6(1), 6-1 win over Lexington Reed at line 4, but the Aggies got the split they needed from Friday night's hero Violeta Martinez, who trailed Rojas 6-1, 4-1 before winning six of the next seven games.

But Lopata was in the process forcing a third set at line 1, with Perez failing to convert her two match points serving at 6-1, 5-3 and Lopata taking advantage of a Perez leg cramp late in the second set to claim the set in a tiebreaker.

Martinez, showing no signs of fatigue after her post-midnight clinch Friday, closed out Rojas for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 win and A&M's Daria Smetannikov was up 4-2 in the third set with her match against Patricija Paukstyte at line 6, with the Aggies needing both that match and a victory from Perez at line 1.

In the long and brutal rallies, with points routinely decided after more than 30 strokes, it was no surprise that both Perez and Lopata struggled physically at times. Lopata took a medical time out for cramping treatment during the first game of the third set, then took a 3-1 lead over Perez, with the crowd roaring its support. Meanwhile Paukstyte had gotten the break back at line 6, but serving at 4-5, Smetannikov broke her to pull her team even for the first time all night and send all the fans down to the opposite side of the stadium to support Lopata.

After shaking off the cramp late in the second set, Perez didn't panic, continuing to engage in long rallies, and by the seventh game of the final set, Lopata's legs were gone. She was broken at love to go down 4-3 and when Perez took a deciding point to hold for 5-3, Lopata could not summon any energy for a final push, losing the game at love after four unforced errors, with the now somber crowd began making their way to the exits.

"To come back from last night, a four-and-a-half-hour match, or whatever it was, it's just pretty tough," said Texas A&M head coach Mark Weaver, whose team will be playing in its third straight NCAA final. "The girls probably didn't get a proper night's sleep, we got home 1:30 a.m., I slept from 3 to 7, the good news is I don't have to swing the racquets, but a pretty amazing job by them to come back from that marathon last night and a marathon tonight and Georgia has a thousand people behind them yelling and screaming for us to do that, it's just a miraculous effort."

Perez, who is now 28-0 this season and lost just her fourth set of the year tonight, sounded weary yet energized by the effort of her teammates in spite of a partisan crowd.

"We knew this was going to be a battle," said the junior from Peru. "The crowd was amazing, the atmosphere was incredible, but we just fought so hard, and it really showed all the work we have put in this year."

Weaver will now face his former associate head coach Jordan Szabo, who left for Auburn immediately after Texas A&M had won their first national championship in 2024.

"I'm not surprised," Weaver said of the prospect of facing Szabo so soon with a national championship on the line. "His athletic director called me and asked if Jordan Szabo can win us a national title and I said, yes he could. Jordan's a coach willing to do anything and everything to win. He's in the finals and we're looking forward to a battle tomorrow."

As he left the press conference, Weaver added, "I can explain to you what that means if you like."

Georgia head coach Drake Bernstein was subdued, obviously disappointed that his team would not be playing for a national title Sunday night, but voiced his appreciation for all the support his team has received from the community.

"I think you saw out there tonight how far this team has come, the competitiveness and composure down the stretch," said Bernstein, who led the team to the ITA National Indoor Championship this year. "It's a big stage and we did everything we could to give ourselves a chance to play one more day in front of the greatest fans in the country and on the greatest stage in the country. Again, really proud of these ladies. I know that this one's going to sting all of us for a bit, but I hope that in due time we're all able to look back and smile at these memories and the effort that we laid out there tonight."

Texas A&M[4] 4 Georgia[1] 3
Doubles:
1. Antastasiia Lopata and Patricija Paukstyte(UGA) d. Mia Kupres and Lucciana Perez(A&M)
2. Denis Dilek and Aysegul Mert(UGA) d. VIoleta Martinez and Ilinca Amariei(TAMU) 6-3
3. Lexington Reed and Daria Smetannikov(TAMU) v Emma Dong and Anastasiia Gureva 5-4, unf.

Order of finish: 1, 2

Singles:
1. Lucciana Perez(TAMU) d. Anastasiia Lopata(UGA) 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3
2. Mia Kupres(TAMU) d. Aysegul Mert(UGA) 6-4, 6-2
3. Deniz Dilek(UGA) d. Ilinca Amariei(TAMU) 7-6(3), 6-1
4. Emma Dong(UGA) d. Lexington Reed(TAMU) 7-6(1), 6-1
5. Violeta Martinez(TAMU) d. Sofia Rojas(UGA) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
6. Daria Smetannikov(TAMU) d. Patricija Paukstyte(UGA) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5

Order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 1

https://tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com/2026/05/both-top-seeds-and-defending-champions.html?m=1

Love this quote from Mark, "Jordan's a coach willing to do anything and everything to win."

So great.

Man I really hope we can wipe that grin off Jordan's face tonight.

taylorswift13_ said:

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Someone find me a brick wall to run through

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I say no way the Aggies can physically come back from this after the last 2 marathon matches at night. I think it's just too much to ask out of these girls (wink wink)

We continue winning every time you doubt it!

Pretailgating

%0A


%0A

Fought our way to the finals 💪 pic.twitter.com/6EcuZI4yyq

— Texas A&M Women's Tennis (@AggieWTEN) May 17, 2026

My quick match breakdown.

If you follow those that cover college tennis - they are picking Auburn. Primarily due to fresh legs and assuming a doubles loss. Those combined being a mental / physical hurdle too big.

They also picked UNC.
They also picked Georgia.

I say these girls don't care. They have talent and fresh legs. We have talent, experience, and heart.

There is no pressure in doubles. Relax. Have fun. Hit big. I'm predicting we play our best doubles point of the year and steal one. We win on courts 1 and 3.

The most challenging singles courts to win will be 3 and 4. Those courts did not go well last night and did not go well against Auburn in the SEC tourney.

However, both Illinca and Lex have done a great job bouncing back from tough losses and glass half full - their matches have been straight sets win or lose. They have fresh legs. Well, as good as they can be considering the matches. They will need to play their best tennis to win these matches. I think they can do it.

Court 2. We need this one. Mia was an absolute mission last night. She wins.

Court 1. I have no idea how Lulu gets up this morning but I know she will. She wins.

That means we need one more.

Six has been good against Auburn (winning both times) and Daria has been good against Auburn (winning both times). I'd bet money Jordan changes the lineup and Daria sees Ionescu at line 6. Daria doesn't care. She had all the pressure in the world on her last night and won. She can do this again.

Bowers vs. V is tough. Bowers has a much bigger game and is fully fresh. V has played what seems like 10 hours the last two nights. Don't care. V can do this.

No idea the score. No idea the order. I think doubles, 3 and 4 will be the toughest but whoever needs to step up will.

5 down. 1 to go.

Aggies win.

Let's do this!