The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Vanderbilt
No. 18 Women’s Tennis tops No. 12 Vanderbilt at ITA Indoors
02.07.2026 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns used four singles victories to claim a 4-1 win over the Commodores on Saturday.
Urbana, Ill. – No. 18 Texas Women's Tennis topped No. 12 Vanderbilt, 4-1, in a consolation match at the ITA National Indoor Championships on Saturday at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Ill.
After the Commodores claimed a tight doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 1 that surrounded a win for the Longhorns at No. 3, Texas rattled of four-straight singles victories by freshman Christasha McNeil at No. 3, freshman Elizabeth Ionescu at No. 5, sophomore No. 2 Carmen Herea at No. 1, and freshman No. 63 Anastasia Abbagnato at No. 2 for the clinch.
During doubles, Herea and Ionsecu fell to the No. 14 pair of Bridget Stammel and Valeria Ray, 6-4, at No. 2. The last two matches were then decided by 7-5 scores with Abbagnato and freshman Mathilde Ngijol-Carré downing the No. 49 pari of Mia Yamakita and Erin Pearce at No. 3. That left it to No. 1 where, despite having to move up a line due to Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo missing the match, the duo of McNeil and sophomore Salma Drugdova almost pulled out a win against the nation's No. 3 tandem of Celia-Belle Mohr and Sophia Webster but came up just short.
In singles, McNeil produced an efficient top-60 victory at No. 3 by defeating No. 56 Yamakita, 6-1, 6-2, to even the overall match. Ionescu then gave Texas the lead with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 win over Pearce at No. 5, and Herea extended the lead to 3-1 by collecting a top-15 victory over No. 15 Valeria Ray, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 at No. 1.
A short time later, Abbagnato came through with the clinch by rallying for a third-set tiebreaker win over No. 40 Stammel, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4), at No. 1. Stammel had led, 5-2 and 15-40 in the second set before Abbagnato deflected three match points to stay alive and start a 5-0 run to win the set herself. Abbagnato held off another match point for Stammel in the third set that came at deuce with Stammel leading, 5-3. Abbagnato then won the next three games to serve for the match, however Stammel stayed alive with a break to get to a tiebreaker.
In the two unfinished matches, the Longhorns led in one and were even in another as sophomore Eszter Meri was ahead of Trinetra Vijayakumar at No. 4, 4-6, 7-5, 1-0, and freshman Kate Mansfield made her UT debut against Sophia Webster and was sitting at 1-6, 6-2, 5-5, at No. 6.
The Longhorns will next face the winner of Duke and Illinois in another consolation match on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.
#18 Texas 4, #12 Vanderbilt 1
Singles – Order of Finish (3,5,1,2)
1. #2 Carmen Herea (TEX) def. #15 Valeria Ray (VU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
2. #63 Anastasia Abbagnato (TEX) def. #40 Bridget Stammel (VU) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4)
3. Christasha McNeil (TEX) def. #56 Mia Yamakita (VU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Trinetra Vijayakumar (VU) vs. Eszter Meri (TEX) 6-4, 5-7, 0-1, unf.
5. Elizabeth Ionescu (TEX) def. Erin Pearce (VU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
6. Sophia Webster (VU) vs. Kate Mansfield (TEX) 6-1, 2-6, 5-5, unf.
Doubles – Order of Finish (2,3,1)
1. #3 Celia-Belle Mohr/Sophia Webster (VU) def. Christasha McNeil/Salma Drugdova (TEX) 7-5
2. #14 Bridget Stammel/Valeria Ray (VU) def. Elizabeth Ionescu/Carmen Herea (TEX) 6-4
3. Anastasia Abbagnato/Mathilde Ngijol-Carré (TEX) def. #49 Mia Yamakita/Erin Pearce (VU) 7-5
Individual Match Key Moments
(by order of finish)
Doubles No. 2: Stammel/Ray (VU) def. Ionescu/Herea (TEX) 6-4
Match: Texas held its first two serves at deuce and then broke for a 3-1 lead. Vanderbilt broke back and after the Longhorns held for 4-3, the Commodores won the last three games.
Doubles No. 3: Abbagnato/Ngijol-Carré (TEX) def. Yamakita/Pearce (VU) 7-5
Match: Texas won 12 of the last 14 points, including the only break of the match in the final game.
Doubles No. 1: Mohr/Webster (VU) def. McNeil/Drugdova (TEX) 7-5
Match: Vanderbilt broke and held on a deuce point to start 2-0, although Texas broke at deuce for 2-2. After the teams exchanged breaks for 4-3 Vanderbilt and 4-4, the Commodores later finished like they started with a break and deuce-point hold to win.
Singles No. 3: McNeil (TEX) def. Yamakita (VU) 6-1, 6-2
Set One: McNeil started and finished with 3-0 runs, including all deuce points on the last three.
Set Two: The players exchanged breaks to start and then McNeil broke again to start a 4-0 run that she capped with a deuce-point hold for 5-1.
Singles No.5: Ionescu (TEX) def. Pearce (VU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
Set One: Ionescu started on a 5-0 run beginning and ending with deuce-point holds. She then held again at deuce for the set.
Set Two: The players exchanged deuce-point holds and then breaks for 3-1 Pearce and 3-2, but the next break came for Pearce on a deuce point for a 5-3 lead.
Set Three: Ionescu moved out on a 4-0 run, including consecutive deuce points for 2-0 and 3-0. Pearce got one break back, and the last three games were all deuce-point breaks with two for Ionescu.
Singles No. 1: Herea (TEX) def. Ray (VU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Set One: Ray opened 3-1 with each player earning a deuce-point hold. Herea got the break back for 3-3. After Ray broke again for 4-3, Herea took the last three games all at deuce for the win.
Set Two: Ray started 3-0 with two deuce-point breaks. Herea got one break back for 3-1, but Ray broke again at deuce and held for 5-1. She then held again at deuce for the set.
Set Three: The first five games were on serve, including two deuce points, until Herea broke for a 4-2 lead. Ray broke back for 4-2, but Herea broke again and held at deuce to win.
Singles No. 2: Abbagnato (TEX) def. Stammel (VU) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4)
Set One: Stammel picked up the only two breaks to close on a 3-0 run.
Set Two: Stammel broke first for 4-2 and consolidated at deuce for 5-2. She then led 15-40 before Abbagnato deflected three match points to start a 5-0 run to win, including a deuce-point break to take a 6-5 lead.
Set Three: Stammel held at deuce and broke for a 3-1 lead, but Abbagnato broke back and evened it. The players late exchanged deuce-point breaks with Stammel's putting her up, 5-3, and Abbagnato's saving a match point for 5-4.
Set Three Tiebreaker: Abbagnato jumped out, 3-0, and the players alternated points the rest of the way.
Singles No. 4: Vijayakumar (VU) vs. Meri (TEX) 6-4, 5-7, 0-1, unf.
Set One: Vijayakumar collected the only break for a 2-1 lead and the held for the set at deuce.
Set Two: Meri broke first for 4-2 on a deuce point, but Vijayakumar broke back. The next three games were all deuce-point holds, and Meri later broke in the final game for the set.
Singles No. 6: Webster (VU) vs. Mansfield (TEX) 6-1, 2-6, 5-5, unf.
Set One: Webster broke in the opening game and later finished on a 4-0 run with the last three games reaching deuce.
Set Two: Mansfield took a 4-1 lead, breaking at deuce to start with Webster holding the third game at deuce. Webster got one break back, but Mansfield broke again and held at deuce for the set.
Set Three: Mansfield won consecutive deuce points to start a 3-0 run for a 4-2 lead. Webster answered the run to lead, 5-4, and Mansfield held for 5-5 before play stopped.
Players Mentioned
