AU women, men look to finish the tennis season strong

By Aaron Smith | Sports writer

Following a 4-3 victory over Lander University on April 2 and a 6-1 win over Abraham Baldwin College on April 15, the Augusta University women’s tennis team improved its record to 17-3 on the season. 

Currently, the team is on a four-game winning streak and is ranked 30th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. For AU Coach Michael McGrath, the Jaguars are headed in the right direction.

“I think we have a great chance to win against Georgia College,” he said about the final regular-season match set for April 19 with the Bobcats at Newman Tennis Center on Wrightsboro Road. “The Peach Belt Tournament is at the end of the month, and I think we’re in a good place.”

A big part of the recent success of the AU women’s tennis team is the play of freshmen Claudia Borbon Roca and Julia De Macedo Moraes. Both Roca, who ranks No. 13 in the latest ITA rankings, and Moraes are among the top singles players in the Peach Belt Conference. 

McGrath said the play of Moraes and Roca signifies how effective they have been for the women’s tennis team all season. 

“I think our success mostly comes from the two new freshmen that we brought in this year,” he said. “They’ve done an outstanding job for us, and quite frankly they’ve made all the difference in the world.”

For the men’s tennis team, the Jaguars, after back-to-back losses against Anderson University and Lander University, defeated Abraham Baldwin 5-2 to improve their overall record to 14-8.

The men’s team started off the season with a strong four-game winning streak but have had mixed success in recent matches. 

For McGrath, the AU men’s team is quite capable of getting back to its winning ways.

“Lander was ranked above us,” he said. “We played well, and the score didn’t reflect the effort. From our losses, we’ve only lost to teams who have been exponentially better than we are, but I think we’ll bounce back against and get ourselves reader for the tournament.”

Currently, the Jaguars are in fifth place in the conference, and No. 21 in the latest ITA rankings. They defeated Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 5-2 at Newman Tennis Center on April 15. AU will host Troy University before the Peach Belt Tournament begins on April 29.

Contact Aaron Smith at MADSMITH@augusta.edu.

Carlota Costa Manero shows her forehand form from the baseline during AU’s 6-1 win over Abraham Baldwin on Friday, April 15. At the top of the page, Claudia Borbon Roca shows the form that has led her to a No. 13 ranking from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. (photos by Madison Keel)