Auburn media availability after 4-1 win over LSU for semifinal berth

Auburn women’s tennis head coach Jordan Szabo and Auburn freshman Eva Ionescu spoke to the media after the 4-1 win over LSU.

Szabo opening statement:

Winning that was very good for us, but, you know, we found ourselves in a big hole, didn't want to be there. I don't think we're necessarily playing our best, but the fight and the positive emotion and the spirit was like definitely on display and I felt like. Our team got better, but it really reminded me a lot of when we played Florida in the SEC tournament. I probably lost a doubles point, but yeah, just an amazing win for us. You know, just not playing murders, not easy, you know, but we really felt like this was the smart thing for our team if we want to try and win it all. And, you know, we have so much trust in Ava and ever, and all our players, and whoever we put out there, they should get the job done down there. So, you know, very pleased with the girls. They worked so hard all year, like they're a great group of girls. There's so much fun. We don't want it to end because. We want to all spend more time together so I'm proud of them. What a great win. You know, we're trying to set a new stand in for open women's tennis and we want to try and repeat it year after year, but we'll enjoy this for a little bit. We're already kind of focused on getting ready for tomorrow and which will obviously be another really tough challenge. But we're fired up, we're pumped up. We're planning for the right reasons. for Alban and, you know, amazing job. I have, you know, it's not easy being in that position, especially, you know, she's been in the US for 3 or 4 months. So, um, she's going to be the future of our programming. So you're playing on these top courts here soon, but we'll enjoy this one and get ready to play again tomorrow. Open up questions.

Congratulations. Just tell me, clarify for me if Merna was hurt, or if she, or, or was a strategic hold?

No, strategic. She's been battling her back since February to like all about players and I'm sure every player here has got something, but it was definitely a strategic thing. You know I'd anticipate that you'll be back in tomorrow, but. You know, it's just really we lost those matches at 405 last time and I've never been one to really like worry about the matchups and stuff, but when we lost to Georgia. The national indoors, and you know we come, you know, there was a bunch of matchups, which I wish I'd like made a couple changes and stuff. So I'm still trying to learn on the go. I'm still a young head coach and making these decisions sometimes aren't easy, but you know, I felt this way about this ever since LSU won. The other day that this made sense to me, so I'm just trying to trust my God, but I'm trying to learn as we go and that, you know, when you've got so many good plays, you've got to put fans, you plays, you're going to play at their best level, especially when they're doing it, the right things in practice. Definitely a strategic thing. But I would anticipate, well, I'm going to back in the morning because she had a great week of practice. You know, she's been getting healthier day by day, so yeah, but she definitely put a play with it. It's just the decision we made. Um, kind of lot up this week, but um, there's always a game time decision with us. You know, I don't know if the girls like how I do it or don't, but, um, you know, everyone needs to be ready to go all the time and whoever would put out there, we expected, they're gonna find a way when.

For Ionescu: How does it feel? You're a freshman, you've only been here a few months and you sent your team to their first ever semifinals.

I mean, it's amazing. Ling Ching two times against 82 at six. It's amazing. It was a good match. After my 1st set, I went to bed from another tennis score, but I was like, come on now, we need to fight now. And then we put a great game in every court, I believe, that would be amazing. Yeah, it's crazy. And here's this January. I'm still getting used to it, but yeah, it's amazing. What I knew loved so far about your experience playing college. For sure, the ghost, we have the best group of girls. We have an amazing group of coaches. I would rather, I don't know, it's the best book, best book.

At the SEC final, you were the lone remaining match for quite some time. This was a little bit different. How helpful was it and how much did you feel of momentum when your teammates were fighting back when you know second sets and also still fighting in the third?

Yeah, for sure. It wasn't that much pressure at the SEC final because the girls were still playing, Ashton and I were still in the match. But, yeah, I saw that Angie won the match, and I was like, okay, I need to end it now. We need to, we need to wait it, and then we'll recover for tomorrow. And yeah, edit it.

Talk about the environment you experienced today from the fans and the ball kids and all that.

It's amazing. The fans were amazing. I wasn't expecting that many people come and support us, but yeah, it was it was great playing there. Everybody was supporting us and me and yeah, it was were amazing.

Jordan, congratulations. You're in your 2nd year. What have been the keys of success to get this Auburn program to express semifinal?

Yeah, getting good plays isn't the number one thing and like that's having a lot of good play. It really helps, but I think also just trying to like establish last year, you know, trying to do the right things that what we're going to be about. It's kind of set some boundaries on some different things like last year. Mona was invited to play, uh, Billy Jean King open. We didn't do it because, you know, like, we just kind of have to draw the lines and things, but I think it's like setting some standards and what it's like to play a woman, and I'm all about the pro tennis. I am all about the girls getting to the next level, but that's for the fall, you know, in the spring we represent Auburn and. So I think it's kind of setting some standards on some different things and you know, I've been fortunate enough to coach some really good players over the last three, four, 5 years and we have amazing players here who really improved. So I think that's made recruiting a little bit easier, and the girls want to come and be by DJ Bennett, and then one of the players, Arms Lo, Kotowi, and they want to play with Verno Raval, and you know, the other girls are green now want to play with VI and SQ, and A versus Pacitos. So, I really think that's helped us, but you know, we just try to focus on doing the right things, um, which is kind of helped us, improve tennis players and create value for themselves. So, um, I think that's been like the key, but the number one thing is is having good players and and players who you know wanting. I think Auburn is an amazing institution. You know, I really didn't know much about Auburn when I got there, and I think the quality of human beings that go there, and I think it's such a hidden jam, like I would recommend anyone to go down to Auburn and check it out and. I think the people that go there that they're doing for the right reasons, and they produce high quality individuals and high quality individuals want to go there, and then, you know, if you put them in a tennis program that's trying hard to get them better, I think it's a recipe for success. So, um, I think it's a number of things. We have an amazing stop, Pete and Bow, you know, the 3 of us work really well together and, um, you know, we just trying to focus on the right things. So, um, we'll see, we'll kind of keep trying to, uh, do it's definitely not a one man show. You know, we couldn't do it if we didn't have all these products for sure.

Do you remember what has helped you as opposed to gone through this with Texas A&M?

Yeah, I think it definitely lean on that, especially the way we wanted that year was very similar in the sense of, you know, 23 days in a row. But I do think it's kind of a different experience there. We kind of kind of like addition to our team. We got kind of hot at the right time I feel like. Whereas here, I feel like we have a lot of expectation on us without high seating. I think obviously without body of work, I don't know if anyone over the course of year has a more impressive body of work. So I do think it is a different experience. You know, we talk a lot about in our team, but we're all going through life for the 1st time, and we're all trying to, you know, even though I've done it before, it's completely different. I mean, I have to show you with a group of different players. But we're just gonna try and make the best decisions that we think will give us of us a chance to win and. In the moment, so you know, I definitely think it helps. I think maybe it gives the players confidence knowing that we're doing the right things. But every day is a different day and every match is a different match based on the conditions and the circumstances that you dealt. So, you know, we hope it's gonna breed more success for us, but there's so many teams here that have been in these moments before as well, which I'm sure they'll lean on their experiences. So, um, we're just trying to move it our way, which we think is the right way, and I'm trying to send about place, um, to be creatable success. Okay.

A quick follow-up, You're trying to build such a great team. You have, but what are you doing in addition to having great players, like, day in day out building a culture that, like, makes it so great?

Yeah, I think we, I think we just try to focus on the things that help you improve as tennis players, like we're not, like, sitting by the campfire and holding hands, we're getting out on the courts and helping the players get better individually. Like, the individuals is like the trademark, I think, about program. Like, I don't know if ever likes it or not, but we get our butt out there every day, doing one on one work, and kind of help our game get better, and be really consistent in doing it. You know, we don't try to win the SEC time. We take our days off, and then we get back to doing it. We lose to Georgia 40 out here in 45 minutes. We take our day off and we get back to doing the things we don't get too high or too low. We have a great win. We just chill out, we have a horrible loss. Um, I think that's like the biggest thing is I find like my responsibility is to be really consistent with my personality and my energy and intensity and um, and then the standards that we have in the program, like, you know, whenever we get back to practice after this and the girls, you know, they'll get back, they'll play the progress, we'll do the individuals in the fall in the middle after. But not gonna change things. So I think having that consistency, I think, will allow the players to be consistent and perform consistently and then hopefully continue to improve. So, you know, I think that's what we're doing on a day to day basis, but, you know, having higher quality individuals really helps as well, who want to be good players, and that's what we do on recruiting. You know, live recruiting, say you don't want to play tennis, the same place for you because, you know, we get after it and, you know, we want players who want you to shoot for the stars and some people are embarrassed in this day and age and say they want to be our top hundred player or top 10 player. Like, we won't play, and then we're not going to not get there. I'm not trying hard, you know? So, um, yeah, we'll see. It's working while right now and we'll just keep trying of doing the right thing going forwards. But, yeah, I think that consistency really helps us.

As Jordan mentioned the loss here to Georgia. What was the player conversation in the locker room after that loss? Do you think that helped ultimately being back here in Athens?

To be honest, I don't remember that many things, but it wasn't that bad. It's not even that bad. Like... We set up on court one, up on the top course, and we chatted, like, 10, 15 minutes. Yeah, it was a good chat. Like, he was, okay, guys, we need to get all right. We need to go back to work, doing the same thing in practice, and where they went. We will learn from this, for sure, we learn from that match, and yeah. We came up with a better season after that lost.

Jordan, congratulations on more of a solemn note, there have been some cuts recently, what feels like a spike recently in college tennis. I was wondering if you can speak on that a little bit from your perspective, but also just talk about how important it is for events like this to grow the game?

Yeah, I think events like this is what it's about. Like if you come out and watch a college tennis event, like it's an amazing atmosphere. It's amazing sport. You know there's no sport. It's more popular, I think, than women's tennis on the global stage. you know, with the pro tennis. So, um, on this these quads, there's going to be so many players who are who are playing on the, um, WTA tour and his grand slam in the year to come. Like, it's never left over high since I have any women's tennis. I think having showcase events, trying to find ways to get on TV, but also just getting people out there and you know you guys do such a great job, John and crack rackets and all that and all these people showcasing it. We we need to make a big deal of these players, but I also think, you know, buying into the traditions and the rivalries and. The big matches and and trying to find ways to get this more exposure will only grow even because I don't see why this can't be like a volleyball or it's a different sport. Obviously there's no time limit and it goes longer and. I don't think you need to mess with it, but I do think you know the USDA needs to try to get involved and find ways to showcase college tennis whether it's at the US Open or. Incorporating in their TV deals and things like that, but. It's the future of American tennis is college tennis, you know? The Cocoa golfs in the world are few and five between, and I think it's only getting tough, but you know, I see it even. When I used to recruit a player like ever, she would come in and play 203 on the top 10 teams straight away and now it's like. You know it's taking long to adjust because you know you see some of our players that older players are so physical and they're they're a women and she's a little girl that just got here. So, you know, it's just different than it used to be. That's why the level's so strong. So, you know, it's a shame to see these cups. You know, I can talk for Auburn. They so invested in us, you know, they're trying to grow our program. They're trying to give us more scholarships and they're giving us more opportunities, but we got to find ways to showcase this talent because, like, obviously I wasn't on every sort there and I don't know if the level was like crazy high on every point necessarily, but the drama was action packed and. You know, I can imagine the fans that was a really really fun match to watch with all the turns and different things. So I think she's trying to find ways to get more exposure and get it on TV. And I've had so many people like random open people. same with ever come up to downtown Auburn and the different events and that was the most amazing sporting event. We watched the SEC tournament and the SEC network did a really good job of showcasing that and I couldn't watch and we couldn't, we were glued to our TV and um, so we just got to find ways to put more moments like that on TV to expose it because, um, it's a great, it's a great sport. especially the women's side, I think. So many players who are going to be playing at the next level. So, um, you know, we're hopeful that, you know, after, sorry, I guess, is back. which is really good news for us in the SEC. You know, I go and play Fayetteville, but there's always like a huge trap match, but I'm gonna be very thrilled to go there next year, so. You know, we just got to find ways to support each other and the last thing I want to add is like with all this crazy NIL and the things that are going on with that. You know, hopefully it may be some common sense gets in place and let's support our programs so they're here for, you know, people like me. I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for college tennis. I was shipped off from Australia to go play at Texas A&M and, you know, Evan's life is going to be much better for her experience at all, but we want generations to come to be able to experience, you know, moments like that she did. You know, whatever she does in a tennis career, she can remember these moments. So, um, hopefully maybe like some common sense would like, let's put instead of necessarily buying players, let's put money back into our programs, so we have a future for how many generations to come.

Coach, wrap you up, talk about this facility. What is it like to have NCA championships here in this facility?

Yeah, it's great having it in Athens, but I personally like it in a Orlando. I like the way you USTA does it. You know, I think it's from a fair and equitable thing. It's a nice being in a bit of a neutral side facility, but the fans, you know, are incredible. They get such a good turnout. You know, we're obviously competing with Georgia. So, you know, potentially playing Georgia here is a tough thing. For whoever has to play them, I guess, with my boy, Simon is playing them later, NC State. So, that it's an amazing facility that it's 1st class. Every time you come to Georgia, it doesn't matter if it's for a dual match or whatever. They treat you the right way. They have amazing support. You know, we just have to play at the end of the day, you know, people playing this in, um, another country, we'd be excited to play. So, you know, we will can't wait to get back out there tomorrow. I'm hoping for a late saving match before Georgia plays. We'll get a great turnout and, but, you know, yeah, I, we'll play anywhere anytime against anyone, but, you know, that was an amazing experience for our players. And, um, yep, I hope that well we can get a similar side turnout tomorrow.