No. 2 Auburn downs No. 10 LSU to clinch first ever NCAA semifinal berth
ATHENS, GA — Back-and-forth would be the best way to describe this NCAA women's quarterfinal match, despite its 4-1 final score.
After No. 2 seed Auburn (36-3) took an intense doubles point, No. 10 seed LSU (22-10) stormed back to win five of six first sets in singles competition. But by the three hour mark, Auburn had battled its way back with multiple quick second-set wins. The Tigers were on the verge of clinching on Court 6, with freshman Eva Ionescu tasked with closing out the match.
It was a similar circumstance to the one she faced in the SEC Championship match, which featured both of the same teams. There, Ionescu defeated LSU's Kinaa Graham to clinch the title with all eyes on her as the match was tied 3-3.
But in the quarterfinal, there was much less pressure on the freshman. Two other courts were still in action and Auburn was looking competitive on both. But Ionescu didn't let it come down to that. She put a stamp on the victory and helped her team make program history, with Auburn's first semifinal berth.
No. 31 senior Ekaterina Khairutdinova was the first to get it done for the Tigers, defeating No. 21 Kayla Cross in an intense 7-6(4) tie-break, before wrapping it up with a 6-4 second set win.
Next to her on Court 3, No. 55 Angella Okutoyi defeated No. 77 Ella McDonald in a three-setter to put Auburn one point away from the semis.
LSU's No. 9 Cadence Brace did some damage with a straight-set win over No. 16 DJ Bennett, but her efforts were not enough to put the LSU Tigers on to the next round.
