In Athens, Ga., Daria Smetannikov delivered the clinching win as Texas A&M beat Auburn 4-1 to capture the Aggies’ second NCAA women’s tennis title, with key contributions from Lexington Reed, Violeta Martinez, Lucciana Perez and Mia Kupres in a final that was halted briefly by lightning and decided after the doubles point swung Texas A&M’s way.
Daria Smetannikov, a senior from New Jersey, sealed the championship by winning the No. 6 singles match, coming back from a set down to beat Ava Esposito 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Her victory arrived while tight battles were still unfolding on the top courts, and it was the kind of clutch finish championship teams live for. The scoreline underlines how momentum shifted in the late stages, tipping the day in the Aggies’ favor.
Earlier singles results fed the team momentum: Lexington Reed took her match 7-6, 6-3 over Merna Refaat, delivering a steady performance when it mattered most. Violeta Martinez added another crucial win, taking her matchup 7-5, 6-1 over Ashton Bowers and keeping the Aggies in control of the singles slate. Those wins helped build the foundation that let Smetannikov finish the job on the decisive court.
Texas A&M grabbed the doubles point to open the day, and that advantage proved pivotal once the singles were under way. Smetannikov and Reed combined to dominate a doubles pairing, winning 6-1 over Ekaterina Khairutdinova and Ashton Bowers. The other doubles pairing, Lucciana Perez and Mia Kupres, edged Ava Esposito and DJ Bennett 7-6 to clinch the point for the Aggies and shift pressure onto Auburn early.
Lucciana Perez closed the season with an unblemished 28-0 record, a remarkable run that added serious depth to Texas A&M’s lineup. Perez was ahead 4-3 in the deciding set of her No. 1 singles match against DJ Bennett when Smetannikov sealed the team title, and at that moment Mia Kupres and Ekaterina Khairutdinova were locked 1-1 in the third on the No. 2 court. Those simultaneous battles show how every court mattered and how team titles hinge on small margins across a lineup.
Auburn earned its spot in the final by defeating No. 3 Ohio State 4-1 in the semifinals, marking the Tigers’ first trip to the national championship match. The Tigers had also captured both the SEC regular season title and the SEC Championship for the first time in program history, making this run a watershed moment for Auburn tennis. Their climb to the final made for a compelling contrast with Texas A&M’s run, where the Aggies had taken down No. 2 Georgia 4-3 in the other semifinal.
These teams had split earlier meetings this season, with Texas A&M beating Auburn 4-3 on April 12, and Auburn returning the favor with a 4-1 victory over the Aggies in the SEC Tournament semifinals. Those results meant this title match carried extra weight and familiarity, each squad knowing what the other was capable of on a given day. In the end, the Aggies found the right mix of doubles firepower and late singles resilience to lift the trophy.
Auburn’s lone point in the final came from Angella Okutoyi, who beat Ilinca Amariei 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles and fought hard throughout the day. Despite that effort, the combination of an early doubles edge for Texas A&M and timely singles wins proved decisive. The Aggies’ second national crown came on the back of collective depth, veteran leadership and a decisive clinching moment from Smetannikov that the program will remember.
