The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Pepperdine
No. 24 Women's Tennis falls to No. 8 Pepperdine, 4-0 at NCAA Championships
05.19.2016 | Women's Tennis
Breaunna Addison takes on USC's Giuliana Olmos on May 25 (noon CT) in the first round of the NCAA singles draw.
STILLWATER, Okla. – No. 24 Texas (16-9) yielded the doubles point and three singles matches as No. 8 national seed Pepperdine (24-2) put away a 4-0 win over the Longhorns in the third round of the NCAA Championships. The Longhorns' season comes to an end after UT, under first-year head coach Howard Joffe, returned to the tournament's round of 16 for the first time since 2012.
Inclement weather at the championships site at The University of Tulsa forced the delay and relocation of the match about 75 miles west to an indoor facility at Oklahoma State's Greenwood Tennis Center. Once the doubles session began two hours off schedule at 6:10 p.m. CT, Pepperdine's 19th-ranked tandem of Matea Cutura and Christine Maddox led off with a 6-1 win over UT's Chelsea Crovetti and Neda Koprcina at second doubles.
UT's tandem of freshmen Daniella Roldan and Katie Poluta answered at third doubles with a 6-4 win over Laure Gulbe and Dzina Milovanovic. Pepperdine put away the doubles point at the first position when its 26th-ranked duo of Luisa Stefani and Jean Runglerdkriangkrai held off UT's 16th-ranked pair of Breaunna Addison and Dani Wagland at first doubles, 6-4.
The Waves' Cutura staked Pepperdine to a 2-0 lead behind her 6-1, 6-4 win over UT's Roldan at fifth singles. Pepperdine assumed a 3-0 lead by way of Michaela Capannolo's 6-4, 6-3 win over UT senior Lana Groenvynck at sixth singles.
Pepperdine closed out the match at second singles when Gulbe finished off a 6-2 6-4 win over Texas' Koprcina at second singles. The remaining matches were suspended.
NCAA Championships Third Round (Round of 16)
No. 8 Pepperdine 4, No. 24 Texas 0
Doubles – Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
1 No. 26 Luisa Stefani/Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (PU) def. No. 16 Breaunna Addison/Dani Wagland (UT), 6-4
2 No. 19 Matea Cutura/Christine Maddox (PU) def. Chelsea Crovetti/Neda Koprcina (UT), 6-1
3 Daniella Roldan/Katie Poluta (UT) def. Laura Gulbe/Dzina Milovanovic (PU), 6-4
Singles – Order of Finish: 5, 6, 2
1 No. 10 Breaunna Addison (UT) vs. No. 6 Luisa Stefani (PU), 6-7 (2), 2-5, susp.
2 Laura Gulbe (PU) def. No. 122 Neda Koprcina (UT), 6-2, 6-4
3 Dani Wagland (UT) vs. Dzina Milovanovic (PU), 6-2, 6-7 (4), 1-1, susp.
4 Katie Poluta (UT) vs. Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (PU), 6-4, 0-6, 2-2, susp.
5 Matea Cutura (PU) def. Daniella Roldan (UT), 6-1, 6-4
6 Michaela Capannolo (PU) def. Lana Groenvynck (UT), 6-4, 6-3
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Howard Joffe
This is a group who has exacted the most of the ability of the players we had. On that basis, sure, we're disappointed at the loss, but we're not disappointed in how much we've managed to squeeze and exact out of this group. We're nothing but prideful. I'm disappointed to say goodbye to Bree (Addison) and to Lana (Groenvynck). Even in the stench of defeat it's nice that we could get three freshmen, a sophomore and our junior Neda Koprcina the experience of playing at the (NCAA Championships) finals site.
Looking to next year and the future in Austin, that will help us out down the line if we're in this next year and the year after. It's good to squeeze out a little value in the defeat, getting some experience for a group who hadn't done this before. I'm just very proud of this team.
Players Mentioned
