The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
No. 11 Women’s Tennis downs No. 12 Oklahoma, 4-3
02.28.2025 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns secured their first-ever win in Southeastern Conference play after clinching the match at 4-2.
Austin – No. 11 Texas Women's Tennis downed No. 12 Oklahoma, 4-3, to secure their first-ever win in Southeastern Conference play on Friday at the Texas Tennis Center.
The Longhorns clinched the match at 4-2 after capturing the doubles point with a pair of decisive 6-2 wins at Nos. 1 and 3 and following with singles victories on three of the top four lines, including freshmen No. 25 Carmen Herea at No. 4, No. 104 Ashton Bowers at No. 1, and No. 124 Eszter Meri at No. 2 for the clinch. The Sooners got within one point at 2-1 with a win at No. 6, at 3-2 with a win at No. 3, and then with their final win at No. 5, however that came after the clinch.
After doubles, Herea produced an efficient 6-1, 6-1 over No. 64 Emma Staker for a quick 2-0 Texas lead. Herea opened the match with a break and hold, and after Staker held her next service game, Herea went on a 6-0 run to take the set and post a 2-0 lead in the second. That included deuce point holds for 5-1 in the first and 1-0 in the second. Staker again moved to within 2-1 with a break, but Herea took it from there with a 4-0 run for the match.
Oklahoma got on the board next as freshman No. 54 Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo fell to Gloriana Nahum, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6. Nahum started on a 4-0 run that included two deuce-point breaks. Even though Anazagasty-Pursoo came back to within 4-2 with a chance to get closer during her next service game, Nahum picked up another deuce point break that started a 7-0 run. That left Nahum with a 5-0 lead in the second set on the way to a 6-1 win.
Not long after that, the Longhorns got the point right back as Bowers topped No. 33 Alina Shcherbinina, 6-4, 6-0, for a 3-1 overall lead. Bowers had moved to the top line after senior No. 87 Sabina Zeynalova missed the match with an injury. The first set was back and forth with Bowers breaking first on a deuce point for a 2-1 lead. That would be the first of seven-straight breaks, including two more at deuce for Bowers for 4-3 and 5-4, which is where the streak was snapped. Bowers then held at deuce in the next game to take the set before sweeping the second set to complete an 8-0 run. Only one game in the second set reached deuce, which she had won for 3-0.
The Sooners got back within one point again when junior No. 107 Vivian Ovrootsky was downed by Salakthip Ounmuang, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 3. Ounmuang broke in the opening game of the match and maintained the break lead through a deuce-point hold for 4-2. She broke again in the next game for 5-2, and although Ovrootsky answered it, Ounmuang broke one more time for the set. The breaks continued in the second set through the first four games until Ounmuang held on a deuce point for a 3-2 lead. There then wasn't another break until Ounmuang broke for match.
The clinch then came from Meri with a 7-5, 6-3 win over No. 12 Julia Garcia Ruiz. The players both broke to begin the match starting with Garcia Ruiz. Then after two holds, the next four games all went to deuce with the first three of those being breaks until Meri claimed the last one for a hold and a 5-3 lead. Garcia Ruiz evened it with a hold and another deuce-point break, but Meri broke back and served out the set. In the second, Garcia Ruiz held on a deuce point to start and later was the first to break for a 3-1 lead. However, it would be all Meri from there as she set out on a 5-0 run to take the match that included deuce-point wins to get within 3-2 and then for a 5-3 lead.
One singles match remained at No. 5 where freshman Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz went to three sets against Ava Catanzarite, but came up short, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Catanzarite broke on a deuce point and held to open the match, but Kempenaers-Pocz proceeded on a 7-0 run, which included deuce-point breaks for 2-2 and 4-2, taking the set and beginning the second with a hold. Catanzarite was later the first to break in that set for a 3-2 lead, which she consolidated and then broke again on a deuce point for 5-2. Kempenaers-Pocz got one of the breaks back for 5-3, but Catanzarite broke again for the set. In the third Catanzarite broke first for a 3-1 lead, and although Kempenaers-Pocz got the set back on serve trailing 4-3, Catanzarite broke back and held for the match and the 4-3 overall final score.
Earlier in doubles, Texas picked up a pair of 6-2 wins, starting with the No. 63 duo of Bowers and Anazagasty-Pursoo over Shcherbinina and Chloe Noel at No. 1. The Longhorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead and maintained that with the rest of the match staying on serve, including a deuce-point hold for Texas for 5-1.
Herea and Meri the clinched the point with a ranked win over No. 53 Ounmuang and Nahum at No. 3. The Longhorns held their first two serves on deuce points before they broke and then consolidated for a 4-1 lead. They then broke again in the final game for the 6-2 victory.
The match at No. 2 remained unfinished at 5-5 between the pairings of Kempenaers-Pocz and freshman Salma Drugdova and the Sooners' Garcia Ruiz and Catanzarite. After both teams held their opening serves starting with Texas, Oklahoma went on a 4-0 run that included three deuce-point wins for a 5-1 lead. However, the Longhorns answered with a 4-0 run of their own in which none of the games reached deuce to even the match when play halted.
Texas (7-4) will next host No. 70 Arkansas on Sunday at 12 p.m. at the Texas Tennis Center.
#11 Texas 4, #12 Oklahoma 3
Singles – Order of Finish (4,6,1,3,2,5)
1. #104 Ashton Bowers (TEX) def. #33 Alina Shcherbinina (OU) 6-4, 6-0
2. #124 Eszter Meri (TEX) def. #12 Julia Garcia Ruiz (OU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Salakthip Ounmuang (OU) def. #107 Vivian Ovrootsky (TEX) 6-3, 7-5
4. #25 Carmen Herea (TEX) def. #64 Emma Staker (OU) 6-1, 6-1
5. #105 Ava Catanzarite (OU) def. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (TEX) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
6. Gloriana Nahum (OU) def. #54 Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (TEX) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles – Order of Finish (1,3)
1. #63 Ashton Bowers/Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (TEX) def. Chloe Noel/Alina Shcherbinina (OU) 6-2
2. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz/Salma Drugdova (TEX) vs. Julia Garcia Ruiz/Ava Catanzarite (OU) 5-5, unf.
3. Carmen Herea/Eszter Meri (TEX) def. #53 Salakthip Ounmuang/Gloriana Nahum (OU) 6-2
Players Mentioned
