The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Missouri
No. 13 Women’s Tennis defeats Missouri, 6-1
03.16.2025 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns clinched at 4-0 to win their second-straight SEC road match on Sunday.
Columbia, Mo. – No. 13 Texas Women's Tennis defeated Missouri, 6-1, at the Green Tennis Center in Columbia, Mo., on Sunday. It was the second-straight SEC road win for the Longhorns and the second-straight match played on just four courts following a 4-3 win at Vanderbilt on Friday.
Texas claimed the doubles points with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 and followed with singles victories by freshmen Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz at No. 4, No. 69 Eszter Meri at No. 2, and No. 70 Ashton Bowers at No. 1 for the clinch at 4-0. The match was then played out with wins by junior Vivian Ovrootsky at No. 3 and sophomore Shachf Lieberman at No. 6 surrounding Missouri's win at No. 5.
Following doubles, Kempenaers-Pocz was first off the singles court with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Zoe Lazar for a 2-0 overall Texas lead. After both players held on their opening serves, Kempenaers-Pocz went on a 5-0 run for the set. In the second, both again held their initial serves with both on deuce points, this time starting with Lazar. Kempenaers-Pocz then broke for a 2-1 lead that she consolidated for 3-1. She broke again for 5-2, and although Lazar managed a deuce-point break in the next game, Kempenaers-Pocz broke back for the win.
Meri was next to finish with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Inah Canete to extend the overall lead to 3-0. In the first set, Meri was the first to break for a 2-1 lead that she consolidated for 3-1. She had a break point chance in the next game on a deuce point, but Canete was able to hold for 3-2. Meri later broke again for a 5-2 lead and then won the set on a deuce-point hold. The second set began with three-straight breaks until Meri held for a 3-1 lead, which would turn out to be the only hold of the set as the last five games were all broken, including at deuce by Canete to trail, 4-2, and by Meri to win, 6-3.
The overall match was then clinched by Bowers with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 win over Mary Brumfield. Bowers jumped out to a 5-0 lead, including a deuce-point break for 4-0. Brumfield picked up one game on a hold, but Bowers served out the set. In the second, Bowers won the first two games on deuce points for a break and a hold and then broke again for a 3-0 lead. However, Brumfield came up with a deuce-point break in the next game, starting a 6-0 run for the set that included two more wins at deuce for 3-3 and a 4-3 lead. Bowers finished the third set the way she started match – on a 5-0 run that delivered wins for her and the team.
With the remaining contests played out, Ovrootsky completed the group of first four matches with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win over Lailaa Bashir. After Bashir held on a deuce point to begin the match, Ovrootsky went on a 6-0 for the set, including on deuce points for 3-1 and 6-1. The second set was all breaks except for one hold by Bashir for 5-3. She then broke on a deuce point to win. Another break started the third set for Ovrootsky, who consolidated for a 2-0 lead. Bashir then held on a deuce point, which ultimately kept her in the match as Ovrootsky went on a 4-0 run for a 5-1 lead. With the match still going, Bashir got back within 5-4 before Ovrootsky finished it on serve.
The last two singles matches had begun at that point, and Missouri collected its lone point as freshman Salma Drugdova fell to Korina Roso, 7-6 (5), 6-4, at No. 5. Roso opened on a 3-0 run capped by a deuce-point hold. That would be the first of four-straight deuce points, but all resulted in holds. That last of those went to Drugdova and started a 4-0 run for her for a 5-4 lead, including another deuce-point hold for 4-4. At that point, she had a chance to serve out the set, but Roso broke to get back on serve where it stayed to a tiebreaker. In the breaker, Roso got out to a 2-0 lead, which she maintained to 4-2. Drugdova responded with a 3-0 run to lead 5-4, but Roso answered the run for the 7-5 win. Roso began the second set with a deuce-point break and a hold for a 2-0 lead. After Drugdova held for 2-1, Roso put together two deuce-point holds and a break for 5-1. Drugdova fought back to get within 5-4 and had deuce point to break and draw even, but Roso held on to take the match.
Lieberman then completed the overall scoring a 7-5, 6-0 win over Gian Octa. The first four games all went to deuce with the first two and last one resulting in breaks and a 3-1 lead for Octa. The next three games were also breaks until Lieberman held for 4-4. Octa briefly regained the lead with a hold for 5-4, but it was all Lieberman from there as she went on a 9-0 run for the match, including second-set deuce points for 2-0 and on match point.
Earlier in doubles, Bowers and Drugdova were first off the court with a 6-2 win over Canete and Andrea Artimedi at No. 2. The Longhorns secured the only two breaks of the match, first on a deuce point for a 4-2 lead and then for the match.
Meri and Carmen Herea then clinched the point with a 6-3 win over Bashir and Lazar at No. 3. Both teams broke to begin the match, starting with Missouri. With the score, 2-2, the Longhorns won consecutive deuce points to start a 3-0 run. The Tigers held off a match point at deuce in the next game, but Meri and Herea served out the match after that.
In the remaining match, Kempenaers-Pocz and senior Sabina Zeynalova were leading Brumfield and Roso, 5-3, at No. 1. The Longhorns began on a 3-0 run with back-to-back deuce points for a hold and a break. The Tigers later held on a deuce point for 4-2 and got the break back for 4-3, but Texas broke again for 5-3 before play stopped.
Texas will next return home for a pair of weekend matches starting with No. 9 LSU on Friday, March 21 at 2 p.m. CT, followed by No. 42 Ole Miss on Sunday, March 23, at 12 p.m. CT.
#13 Texas 6, Missouri 1
Singles – Order of Finish (4,2,1,3,5,6)
1. #70 Ashton Bowers (TEX) def. Mary Brumfield (MIZ) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
2. #69 Eszter Meri (TEX) def. Inah Canete (MIZ) 6-2, 6-3
3. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEX) def. Lailaa Bashir (MIZ) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
4. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (TEX) def. Zoe Lazar (MIZ) 6-1, 6-3
5. Korina Roso (MIZ) def. Salma Drugdova (TEX) 7-6 (5), 6-4
6. Shachf Lieberman (TEX) def. Gian Octa (MIZ) 7-5, 6-0
Doubles – Order of Finish (2,3)
1. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz/Sabina Zeynalova (TEX) vs. Mary Brumfield/Korina Roso (MIZ) 5-3, unf.
2. Ashton Bowers/Salma Drugdova (TEX) def. Andrea Artimedi/Inah Canete (MIZ) 6-2
3. Carmen Herea/Eszter Meri (TEX) def. Lailaa Bashir/Zoe Lazar (MIZ) 6-3
Players Mentioned
