Tennis Weekly Honors: Mar. 8
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Player of the Week
James Story, South Carolina
Story, was perfect through the first week of SEC play, posting two singles and two doubles wins. Against No. 5 Kentucky, Story and partner Jake Beasley helped No. 6 South Carolina secure the upset by taking down No. 43 Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer in dominating 6-2 fashion to help the Gamecocks earn the doubles point. Story then went on to take down previously undefeated No. 100 Taha Baadi in singles, helping the Gamecocks retain the lead and complete the upset on the road. Baadi was a perfect 10-0 in dual play prior to Story's straight-set takedown. The win was South Carolina's first victory in Lexington since 2000. Against Vanderbilt, Story and Beasley again kicked off the wins, earning the first doubles win of the day with another dominant 6-2 decision. In singles, Story clinched the match for South Carolina, taking down Siim Troost in straight-sets 6-4, 7-6(4). This win is the first time that the Gamecocks have ever shut out Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Freshman of the Week
Ethan Quinn, Georgia
Quinn, has continued his strong start to his collegiate career with a pair of singles wins, including one to clinch the match against No. 14 Auburn, and a point-clinching win in doubles against No. 58 Alabama. In doubles, No. 19 Trent Bryde and Quinn picked up their sixth win together on court one against the Crimson Tide's Enzo Aguiard and Filip Planinsek by a 6-4 score. This marked their third point-clinching win together of the spring season. Quinn defeated No. 51 Aguiard in a three-set decision by a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 margin to give the Bulldogs their final point and confirm a 6-1 win for the team. In one of the highest-ranked matches to start conference play, the Fresno, Calif. native sustained his level of play against the Auburn Tigers' No. 103 Tyler Stice. No. 4 Quinn earned a straight set 6-4, 6-3 win to notch his second match-clinching win of his collegiate career and the first in SEC action. No. 9 Georgia would go on to beat No. 14 Auburn 6-1 on the road. By winning his third-straight match, Quinn improved to 15-9 overall with 12 of his wins coming against ranked opponents, the most on the team.
WOMEN
Player of the Week
Mary Stoiana, Texas A&M
Stoiana, opened conference play on the road as No. 10 Stoiana and her partner Carson Branstine dominated the Gators number one doubles team in Carly Briggs/Alicia Dudeney on court 1 (6-0) claiming the pairs eighth win of the season. In singles No. 9 Stoiana was locked into a ranked battle on court 1 with No. 61 Carly Briggs, the match went in to two separate tiebreak endings where Stoiana claimed victory in both (7-6(5), 7-6(4)). This win clinched the match, 4-2. Against South Carolina Stoiana and Branstine claimed their ninth dual match doubles win of the season while remaining undefeated after besting Akli/Hamner on court 1 (6-2). In singles she was wrapped up in a top-10 ranked match with the Gamecocks No. 10 Akli, after losing a tight opening set, she flipped the momentum entirely as she swept the second set 6-0 when the Maroon & White clinched the match. Following this week's matches, Stoiana now improves to 8-1 in singles dual matches while currently holding a three-match win-streak, while in doubles she and her partner boast a perfect 9-0 record while being undefeated.
Freshman of the Week
Bridget Stammel, Vanderbilt
Stammel, in the match against Ole Miss, Vanderbilt's Bridget Stammel and her partner Anessa Lee clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Emma Kette and Reka Zadori. Stammel brought that momentum into her singles play, winning the match for the Dores with her two-set victory on Court 4 against Kette, 7-5, 6-1. In the match against Mississippi State, Stammel and Lee defeated Gia Cohen and Maria Rizzolo, 6-1. Stammel was the first to finish in singles with a two-set victory on Court 3, 6-1, 6-1 over Alexandra Mikhailuk. Stammel now has a five-match singles win streak. She also now has a three-match doubles win streak with partner Anessa Lee.