African Games singles champion Angella Okutoyi delivered one of the defining performances of Auburn’s season, leading No. 3 Auburn University to its first-ever Southeastern Conference (SEC) Women’s Tennis Tournament title with a hard-fought 4-3 win over No. 15 Louisiana State University (LSU) on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Erasing a 0–4 deficit in her opening set and later winning a decisive tiebreak, the Kenyan star proved pivotal in a championship that came down to the final match.

Auburn set the tone early by securing the doubles point. Ekaterina Khairutdinova and Ashton Bowers dominated at No. 3 doubles with a 6-0 win, while Okutoyi paired with Merna Refaat to clinch the point at No. 2, closing out a 6-2 victory after building a steady lead.

Singles play quickly turned into a nail-biting battle. Auburn’s DJ Bennett put the Tigers ahead 2-1 with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Cadence Brace on the top court. LSU responded to tie the match twice, capitalizing on wins at the No. 4 and No. 2 positions to eventually take a 3-2 lead.

That set the stage for Okutoyi. Facing LSU’s Ella McDonald at No. 3 singles, she fell behind 4-0 in the first set before storming back to win six consecutive games and clinch it 6-4. In the second set, Okutoyi again showed composure under pressure, rallying from a 4-2 deficit and winning a tiebreak 7–4 to even the overall match at 3-3. Her comeback underscored why she has been one of Auburn’s most reliable competitors all season.

With the championship hanging in the balance, freshman Eva Ionescu delivered the winning point at No. 6 singles. After splitting the first two sets, Ionescu battled through a tense third set, overcoming multiple momentum swings and saving pressure moments to force a final tiebreak. She then surged, cruising to five straight points to secure a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) victory and clinch the title.

Head coach Jordan Szabo praised both the team’s resilience and Okutoyi’s fight, highlighting her comeback as a key turning point.

Auburn’s victory caps a historic run, improving its record to 32-3 and extending its winning streak to six matches.

The Tigers now await their NCAA Tournament seeding, to be announced April 27, as they look to carry their championship momentum onto the national stage.

Singles Results:

#23 DJ Bennett (AUB) def. #18 Cadence Brace (LSU) 6-3, 6-2

#46 Kayla Cross (LSU) def. #28 E. Khairutdinova (AUB) 6-2, 7-6 (5)

#70 Angella Okutoyi (AUB) def. Ella McDonald (LSU) 6-4, 7-6 (4)

#108 Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Merna Refaat (AUB) 7-5, 6-4

Carolina Kuhl (LSU) def. #55 Ashton Bowers (AUB) 6-4, 6-2

Eva Ionescu (AUB) def. Kinaa Graham (LSU) 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2)

Doubles Results:

#2 DJ Bennett/Ava Esposito (AUB) vs. #67 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) 4-3, unfinished

#18 Angella Okutoyi/Merna Refaat (AUB) def. #29 Kenna Erickson/Ella McDonald (LSU) 6-2

Ashton Bowers/E. Khairutdinova (AUB) def. Carolina Kuhl/Addison Lanton (LSU) 6-0