TUSKEGEE, Ala. — The Tuskegee women's tennis team is set to celebrate its senior class this Saturday morning as it hosts Alabama A&M University in a non-conference matchup at 11 a.m. at the Pepsico Tennis Courts.
The Golden Tigers enter the highly anticipated contest with a 14-5 overall record and a dominant 13-1 mark in SIAC play, while the Bulldogs arrive with a 7-10-1 overall record and a solid 6-2-1 conference mark in SWAC play.
Saturday's match marks the final home appearance of the regular season for Tuskegee, which has compiled one of the most successful campaigns in program history.
ABOUT TUSKEGEE (14-5, 13-1 SIAC)
With a combined 76-22 singles record and 37-13 doubles record, the Golden Tigers have been a force in league play, posting a .776 singles winning percentage and a .740 mark in doubles action.
Tuskegee's lineup has been led by several standout performers. Senior Leiloni Payton has authored a phenomenal season, posting a 14-1 record in singles, including an unblemished 12-0 in SIAC matches and 11-0 from the No. 3 position.
She enters the final weekend on a 14-match win streak and has also starred in doubles alongside Tanyaradzwa Kaome, with the pair combining for a 12-5 record and 11-2 in league play .
Freshman phenom Chloe Griffin-Harrington has delivered a perfect 12-1 singles record, going 11-0 in conference play and undefeated at the No. 6 position.
She rides a 12-match winning streak into the weekend and has established herself as one of the top young players in the region.
Dayna Jackson, another key senior being honored Saturday, holds a 13-4 singles record with an 11-2 mark in SIAC matches. She's thrived in the No. 4 and No. 5 positions and brings a five-match win streak into her final home match.
Jackson has also formed a reliable doubles pairing with Gabrielle Blanks, compiling an 8-1 overall record and 7-1 in league play as a team .
Tuskegee's depth has been critical to its success, with Taylor Ford (11-3 singles, 11-1 SIAC) and Kaome (12-5 singles, 12-1 SIAC) anchoring the middle of the lineup.
The team holds a 5-1 home record and has not dropped a match at Pepsico Courts since early February.
About Alabama A&M (8-10, 7-2 SWAC)
Alabama A&M enters Saturday's contest following a 4-0 loss at Western Kentucky.
Despite a sub-.500 overall record, the Bulldogs boast a 6-2-1 SWAC mark and have played competitive tennis throughout the season. The team has recorded 27 singles wins and 15 doubles victories, including strong performances from Sofia Sotelo Raya (5-7 singles) and Ntokozo Zungu (3-6 singles, 5-6 doubles).
In doubles, A&M has found recent success through the team of Naomi Blanks and Zungu, who have gone 5-4 overall and 5-2 in league matches. Another key duo, Gabrielle Henderson and Sotelo Raya, has compiled a 6-6 record, including a 6-2 run in SWAC contests.
As a team, the Bulldogs have won 13 of their 21 doubles points in conference play.
Saturday's match will also serve as a valuable test for the Golden Tigers ahead of postseason competition. Though non-conference, the match provides Tuskegee an opportunity to face off against a conference leader from the SWAC and continue sharpening its form ahead of the SIAC Championships.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to support Tuskegee's seniors as they are honored before the match. With warm weather and a championship-caliber team on display, Saturday promises to be a meaningful and memorable finale to the home slate.
How to Follow the Golden Tigers
For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Athletics, visit GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
