BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Auburn University at Montgomery women's tennis standouts Melissa Yakup Pour and Mercedes Garcia Cid were recognized by the Gulf South Conference (GSC) on Wednesday morning, with Yakup Pour earning Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and Garcia Cid being named Freshman of the Week for the fifth time. This marks the second time this season the Warhawks have swept the GSC weekly awards.
Ranked No. 21 nationally in doubles, Yakup Pour partnered with Nagisa Yonezawa at the No. 1 position and delivered a strong performance against Montevallo's Klara Podskubkova and Claire Jaramba. The duo controlled the match early and secured a 6-4 victory to help set the tone in doubles play and give the Warhawks an early advantage in the team scoring.
In singles action, Yakup Pour, ranked No. 12 nationally, competed at the No. 1 position against Klara Podskubkova. After dropping the opening set 6-3, she responded, pulling out a 7-5 win before closing the match with a 6-3 third-set victory. Yakup Pour delivered in the key moments to secure a crucial point for AUM in the 6-1 team victory.
Mercedes Garcia Cid continued her dominant freshman campaign, earning GSC Freshman of the Week honors for the fifth time this season after another strong showing in AUM's win over Montevallo.
In doubles play, Garcia Cid partnered with Sofia Neri at the No. 2 position and delivered a commanding performance against Montevallo's Ella De Jesus and Sophia Baillos. The duo controlled the match from the start and secured a 6-1 victory to help the Warhawks take momentum in doubles play.
In singles action, Garcia Cid competed at the No. 3 position against Sophia Baillos and was dominant throughout. She controlled both sets from the baseline, earning a 6-4, 6-0 straight-set victory to close out a strong performance and add another key point in AUM's team win.
Up Next
Yakup Pour, Garcia Cid, and the rest of the Warhawks are set to open play in the 2026 Gulf South Conference Championship next week, beginning with a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday. The AUM women earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will take on No. 3 seed West Alabama on April 23 at 5 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
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