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Ole Miss
No. 13 Women’s Tennis falls to No. 49 Ole Miss, 4-2
03.23.2025 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns continued to attempt to work through lineup absences but came up short on Sunday.
Austin – No. 13 Texas Women's Tennis fell to No. 49 Ole Miss, 4-2, on Sunday at the Texas Tennis Center.
The Longhorns continued to attempt to work through lineup absences, including senior Sabina Zeynalova in both singles and doubles, and freshman Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo in singles, but came up short on Sunday.
Texas was first off the doubles court with a win at No. 2, but Ole Miss took the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3. Junior Vivian Ovrootsky evened the match with a singles win at No. 5, and after the Rebels won at No. 2, freshman No. 20 Carmen Herea tied it again with a victory at No. 3. However, Ole Miss was then able to win at Nos. 1 and 4 to clinch.
After doubles, Ovrootsky got the Longhorns on the board with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Rachel Krzyzak. Krzyzak held to open the match, but Ovrootsky set out on a 7-0 run to take the set and a 1-0 lead in the second on a deuce-point hold. Krzyzak then held to start a 3-0 run that included consecutive deuce points in the last two. However, Ovrootsky later completed her own 3-0 run by holding on a deuce point, getting the break back and holding again for a 5-4 lead. The set then stayed on serve until Ovrootsky broke again for the 7-5 win.
Ole Miss regained the lead as freshman No. 54 Eszter Meri was downed by Ludmila Kareisova, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 2. Kareisova broke first for a 2-1 lead and then consolidated on a deuce point for 3-1. Meri held and got the break back on a deuce point to even it, but Kareisova closed the set on a 3-0 run. In the second, Meri broke on a deuce point to start it, but Kareisova broke back. Three games later, Meri secured another deuce-point break for a 3-2 lead, but Kareisova finished the match on a 4-0 run that included deuce-point holds for 4-3 and the match.
Herea drew Texas even again with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Lucie Petruzelova. In the first set, Herea served first, and the players combined to alternate between two holds and two breaks all the way through to a tiebreaker. In the breaker, Petruzelova jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Herea responded with five of the next six to lead, 5-4. Petruzelova tied it on the next point, but Herea secured the last two points to win. In the second set, Herea broke first on a deuce point for a 3-2 lead. That would be the first of five-straight breaks, the last of which Herea earned at deuce again. She then served out the match, capping it with an ace.
The Rebels took the lead for good as freshman No. 73 Ashton Bowers fell to Emily Welker, 6-4, 7-5 at No. 1. After Bowers held to begin the match, Welker went on a 4-0 run that concluded with a deuce-point break. Bowers got back within one, 4-3, but the set remained on serve from there to the win for Welker. In the second set, Welker broke and held for a 2-0 lead, but Bowers held on a deuce point, broke and held again at deuce for a 3-2 lead. The set then stayed on serve from there until Welker broke on a deuce point for a 6-5 lead and served out the match.
The Longhorns still had an opportunity in the last two matches, but the Rebels clinched as freshman Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz was downed by Alice Soulie in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 at No. 4. After Soulie bookended the first set with breaks, Kempenaers-Pocz opened the second on a 4-0 run. Soulie came back with a 3-0 run, but the players alternated games from there for Kempenaers-Pocz' 6-4 win. In the third set, Soulie began on a 3-0 run with a break in the second game. Kempenaers-Pocz then held for 3-1, but Soulie won consecutive deuce points as she closed on another 3-0 run.
That left one match unfinished where sophomore Shachf Lieberman was also in a third set, but trailing to Emma Kette after one game, 6-2, 5-7, 0-1, at No. 6. Lieberman came out of the gate hot with a 5-0 run that she began with consecutive deuce-point wins for a hold and a break. Kette got two games back, but Lieberman broke for the win. In the second set, Lieberman again broke first for a 3-1 lead for the first of four-straight breaks until Kette held for 4-4. Lieberman then held on a deuce point for a 5-4 lead, but Kette the final three games of the set with the last two coming at deuce. She then won a third-straight game at deuce by breaking for the first game of the third set.
Earlier in doubles, Kempenaers-Pocz and freshman Salma Drugdova were first off the court with a 6-1 win over Andrea Nova and Brooklyn Olson at No. 2. Both teams held their opening service games, but the Longhorns used a deuce-point hold to start a 5-0 run to the win, including another deuce-point hold for 4-1.
The other two matches were much closer, but both went to Ole Miss, starting with the No. 27 duo of Bowers and Anazagasty-Pursoo falling to Anaëlle Leclercq-Ficher and Kareisova, 6-4 at No. 1. The Rebels broke to begin the match, but the Longhorns went on a 3-0 run. They had the opportunity to make it 4-0 on a deuce point, but Ole Miss instead broke for 3-2, starting their own 4-0 run for a 5-3 lead, which they completed with a deuce-point hold. Texas also held at deuce in the next game, but the Rebels served out the match.
That left the deciding match at No. 3 where Herea and Meri were outlasted by Welker and Soulie, 7-5. Ole Miss broke first for a 3-2 lead and then consolidated for 4-2. Three of the next four games went to deuce with Texas winning all three deuce points, first to get within 4-3 and 5-4, and then to even it, 5-5. However, the Rebels claimed the last two games for a break and a hold to secure the point.
The Longhorns (10-8, 4-5 SEC) will next return to the road to face No. 6 Tennessee on Friday, March 28, at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT, and No. 63 Kentucky on Sunday, March 30, at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.
#49 Ole Miss 4, #13 Texas 2
Singles – Order of Finish (5,2,3,1,4)
1. Emily Welker (OM) def. #73 Ashton Bowers (TEX) 6-4, 7-5
2. Ludmila Kareisova (OM) def. #54 Eszter Meri (TEX) 6-3, 6-3
3. #20 Carmen Herea (TEX) def. Lucie Petruzelova (OM) 7-6 (5), 6-4
4. Alice Soulie (OM) def. Char Kempenaers-Pocz (TEX) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
5. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEX) def. Rachel Krzyzak (OM) 6-1, 7-5
6. Shachf Lieberman (TEX) vs. Emma Kette (OM) 6-2, 5-7, 0-1, unf.
Doubles – Order of Finish (2,1,3)
1. Anaelle Leclercq/Ludmila Kareisova (OM) def. #27 A Anazagasty-Pursoo/Ashton Bowers (TEX) 6-4
2. Salma Drugdova/Char Kempenaers-Pocz (TEX) def. Andrea Nova/Brooklyn Olson (OM) 6-1
3. Emily Welker/Alice Soulie (OM) def. Carmen Herea/Eszter Meri (TEX) 7-5
Players Mentioned
