- Angella Okutoyi came from behind to beat Gracie Epps 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
- The Kenyan also partnered with Merna Refaat to win their doubles match.
- This was the first time that Auburn University defeated one of the highest ranked tennis teams in the United States since 2007.
Highly-rated Kenyan tennis player Angella Okutoyi has once again proved why she is backed by many people to take the tennis world by storm in the near future.
Okutoyi produced a monstrous performance on Saturday night to help Auburn University beat one of the highest ranked teams in the entire United States for the first time since 2007.
The talented player, who earned a scholarship from the school a few years ago, came from behind to beat her opponent Grace Epps of Oklahoma State, which is the third ranked team in America 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Okutoyi’s teammates sprinted towards her after she won the final set to celebrate the instrumental victory.
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Besides triumphing in her singles match, the Mbagathi Road Primary School product also helped Auburn University win one of the doubles fixtures.
She played alongside another African player in Merna Refaat, who hails from Egypt, to beat Epps and Marcela Lopez 7-5.
Okutoyi’s coach Jordan Szabo was full of praise for the entire team for the good performances they displayed on the court.
“I think it’s just validation that we’re doing the right things. We try to be very professional every day, work hard with the girls and do the right things day in and day out. We preach that you’ll get good results because of it and hopefully this adds a little bit more fuel to the fire.
The girls competed really hard today. I don’t think we necessarily played our best tennis, which is very encouraging, but they competed well. I think the physical and mental toughness from the practices paid off when it mattered. Very proud of the girls, they deserve all the credit,” he was quoted by the institution’s website.
The well-deserved win not only made Oklahoma State suffer their first defeat since 2023 but also ensured Okutoyi’s school proceeded to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Team Indoor Championships.
The national event is scheduled to start on Friday, February 7, 2025 in Evanston, Illinois while the draw will come out on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
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