The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Vanderbilt
No. 13 Women’s Tennis tops No. 16 Vanderbilt, 4-3
03.14.2025 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns earned their first-ever conference road win as a member of the SEC.
Nashville, Tenn. – No. 13 Texas Women's Tennis rallied to top No. 16 Vanderbilt, 4-3, at the Lummis Tennis Center in Nashville on Friday in a match that was played on only four courts and lasted almost five-and-a-half hours. It marked the Longhorns' first-ever conference road win as a member of the SEC.
Vanderbilt claimed the doubles point in dramatic fashion in a tiebreaker of the deciding match at No. 3. With only four courts available for singles, Nos. 1-4 played first with all four matches going to three sets. Freshman No. 69 Eszter Meri was first off the singles court at No. 3 to tie the match, 1-1, and after the Commodores won at No. 2, freshman No. 30 Carmen Herea evened it again at No. 4. Vanderbilt then picked up its last point at No. 1 for a 3-2 lead. The last two Longhorns entered the court shortly before that and completed the comeback with a pair of straight-sets victories by junior Vivian Ovrootsky at No. 5, and freshman Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz for the clinch at No. 6.
After doubles, Meri posted a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over No. 35 Bridget Stammel. Both players broke to begin the match starting with Stammel. The next four games all went to deuce with Meri holding in the first one, but Stammel secured the next three for a 4-2 lead. She then won the last two games to complete a 5-0 run to take the set, capped by a deuce-point hold. Meri opened the second set with a 3-0 run, including a break in the second game. Stammel got the break back two games later for 3-2, and like the first set, four-straight games then went to deuce. This time it was Meri who prevailed in three of the four, including next two for 5-2 before later serving out the set, 6-3. Both players broke again to start the third set starting with Meri, but Stammel held on a deuce point in the following game. Meri then went on a 3-0 run for a 4-2 lead, and although Stammel got one game back on serve, Meri finished the match with consecutive deuce-point wins.
Moments later, Bowers fell to No. 119 Valeria Ray, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, at No. 2. In the first set, the first six games stayed on serve, including deuce-point holds for Bowers and Ray to start the match, and another for Ray for 3-3. That began a 4-0 run for Ray to take the set. The first two games of the second set also went to deuce with both claimed by Ray, completing a 6-0 run overall. Bowers responded with a 4-0 run over her own, including a deuce-point break in the third of those four games. Ray held to get back within 4-3, but Bowers closed the set with the next two games. In the third, Ray moved out to a 2-0 lead with a deuce-point break and a hold. Bowers held in the next game, and after Ray did as well for 3-1, the players exchanged deuce-point breaks with Ray's starting a 3-0 run to the finish.
Herea equalized it again with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Trinetra Vijayakumar. The first three games of the match were all breaks with Vijayakumar winning twice on deuce points for hers and a 2-1 lead. She consolidated the second one for 3-1, and even though Herea got the break back two games later for 3-3, Vijayakumar went on a 3-0 run for the set. Vijayakumar began the second set with a deuce-point hold, but Herea set out on a 5-0 run that included a deuce-point hold in the third game of that stretch. Vijayakumar kept the set going with a deuce-point hold and a break, but Herea broke again to claim it. Vijayakumar established a 2-0 lead in the third with a deuce-point break and a hold. After the next two games were held for 3-1, Herea put together another 5-0 run for her victory that started with a deuce-point hold and later included a deuce-point break for 5-3.
Vanderbilt's last point came as senior No. 38 Sabina Zeynalova was downed by No. 44 Celia-Belle Mohr, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, at No. 1. Zeynalova broke on a deuce-point to begin the match, but Mohr broke back to put it back on serve until Mohr broke again for a 4-2 lead and consolidated for 5-2. Zeynalova put it back on serve again by taking the next two games, but Mohr was able to break on a deuce-point for the set after that. In the second, Mohr held and broke for a 2-0 lead, but Zeynalova grabbed consecutive deuce points to start a 3-0 run for her lead. The next three games were also breaks with Mohr getting the last of those on a deuce point for 4-4 and consolidating for a 5-4 lead. However, Zeynalova took it from there with a 3-0 run that included a deuce-point break. In the third, it was Zeynalova who broke and held for a 2-0 lead. She kept that break lead until Mohr got it back for 4-4 as part of a 4-0 run that turned a 4-2 deficit for Mohr into a 6-4 win.
That left the Longhorns needing both of the later starting matches to come back. They had taken early leads in both when the match at No. 1 ended. Unlike the four previous matches, Ovrootsky produced an efficient 6-2, 6-2 win over Sonya Macavei. Jumping out to a 4-0 lead, Ovrootsky bookended deuce-point wins around that run for a break and hold. The rest of the set was then on serve with the last two games reaching deuce. The second set followed almost the exact same scoring all the way down to the deuce points with the exception of a deuce point in the third game instead of the fourth. That meant Ovrootsky capped her victory with a deuce-point hold to even the overall match and turn all attention to court 6.
There, Kempenaers-Pocz came through for Texas with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Sophia Webster. Similar to Ovrootsky, Kempenaers-Pocz got out to a fast start with a 3-0 lead that became 5-1 after each player secured a deuce-point hold, and Kempenaers-Pocz broke again. Webster rallied with a 3-0 run that she completed with a deuce-point break, but Kempenaers-Pocz broke back for the win. Kempenaers-Pocz kept it going in the third set with a hold and deuce-point break for a 2-0 lead, but Webster broke back and held to even it. Kempenaers-Pocz then took control with a 3-0 run that she started with a deuce-point hold. Webster fought off three match points in the next game to hold at deuce for 5-3, but Kempenaers-Pocz would not be denied the win in her following service game in delivering the clinch.
Earlier, the doubles point came down to a tiebreaker in the deciding match at No. 3. Each team had earned a solid win prior to that, starting with Zeynalova and Kempenaers-Pocz falling to the No. 9 pair of Mohr and Webster at No. 1, 6-1. Despite the final score, both of Texas' first two service games went to deuce with Vanderbilt claiming them both for a 3-0 lead that was consolidated to 4-0. The Longhorns' next service game again went to deuce, but this time they held for 4-1. The Commodores also held and then were able to break again for the 6-1 win.
Texas evened doubles with a 6-2 win by Bowers and freshman Salma Drugdova over Stammel and Macavei at No. 2. Like the match at No. 1, Texas' first two service games both went to deuce, but after Vanderbilt broke in the first game, the Longhorns broke back and held at deuce for a 2-1 lead. The Commodores held to even it, but Bowers and Drugdova closed on a 4-0 run that included deuce-point breaks for 4-2 and 6-2.
That left it to the match at No. 3 where Herea and Meri came up just short against Ray and Vijayakumar, 7-6 (4). After an opening hold, Texas had a deuce-point break opportunity in the second game, but Vanderbilt was able to hold. The Commodores then broke for a 2-1 lead that they consolidated for 3-1. The Longhorns got the break back for 3-3, which started a stretch of five-straight breaks, including splitting consecutive deuce points, first for Texas for 4-4, and then for Vanderbilt for a 5-4 lead. However, Herea and Meri broke back to keep the match going, 5-5, and the last two games were held to go to the tiebreaker. There, the first six points were all mini-breaks for 3-3. The Commodores snapped that streak for a 4-3 lead, but after the Longhorns also held for 4-4, Vanderbilt collected the last three points for the win and a 1-0 overall lead.
Texas (9-6, 3-3 SEC) will complete their stretch of four-straight road matches at Missouri on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.
#13 Texas 4, #16 Vanderbilt 3
Singles – Order of Finish (3,2,4,1,5,6)
1. #44 Celia-Belle Mohr (VANDY) def. #38 Sabina Zeynalova (TEX) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
2. #119 Valeria Ray (VANDY) def. #70 Ashton Bowers (TEX) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
3. #69 Eszter Meri (TEX) def. #35 Bridget Stammel (VANDY) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. #30 Carmen Herea (TEX) def. Trinetra Vijayakumar (VANDY) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEX) def. Sonya Macavei (VANDY) 6-2, 6-2
6. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (TEX) def. Sophia Webster (VANDY) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles – Order of Finish (1,2,3)
1. #9 Celia-Belle Mohr/Sophia Webster (VANDY) def. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz/Sabina Zeynalova (TEX) 6-1
2. Ashton Bowers/Salma Drugdova (TEX) def. Sonya Macavei/Bridget Stammel (VANDY) 6-2
3. Valeria Ray/Trinetra Vijayakumar (VANDY) def. Carmen Herea/Eszter Meri (TEX) 7-6 (4)
Players Mentioned
