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No. 7 Women’s Tennis falls No. 18 Tennessee, 4-2
03.22.2026 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns had their seventh-match winning streak snapped despite winning five first sets in singles after falling in a close doubles point.
Austin,Texas – No. 7 Texas Women's Tennis fell to No. 18 Tennessee, 4-2, on Sunday at the Texas Tennis Center. The loss snapped the Longhorns' seven-match winning streak despite winning five first sets in singles after falling in a close doubles point.
Texas began doubles with a ranked win by the No. 53 duo of freshman Anastasia Abbagnato and sophomore Salma Drugdova over No. 74 Vanesa Suarez and Francesca Mattioli, 6-2, at No. 1. Tennessee then evened the point as sophomore Carmen Herea and freshman Mathilde Ngijol-Carré fell to Katrina Scott and Maeve Thornton, 6-3, at No. 3.
That left it to No. 2 where the No. 71 pair of freshmen Elizabeth Ionescu and Christasha McNeil held a late break lead of 5-3, but No. 24 Leyla Britez Risso and Catherine Aulia closed on a 4-0 run with the last two at deuce for a 7-5 win to come away with the point.
After doubles, Ngijol-Carré made quick work of her singles match with a decisive 6-2, 6-0 win over Audrey Aulia at No. 6. However, the Volunteers took the next two contests as No. 1 Herea fell to No. 59 Scott, who was playing in just her seventh dual match, 7-6 (6), 6-2, at No. 1. No. 12 Abbagnato was then downed in three sets by Suarez, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 2.
Sophomore No. 71 Eszter Meri pulled Texas back within one with her top-20 win over No. 18 Leyla Britez Risso, 7-6 (8), 6-2, at No. 3, but the match was clinched when McNeil fell in three sets, which included a second-set tiebreaker for a potential win, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, at No. 4.
That left one match unfinished where Ionescu was even in her third set with Mattioli, 6-3, 1-6, 5-5, at No. 5.
The Longhorns next head back on the road to face No. 11 LSU in Baton Rouge on Friday, March 27, at 5 p.m. CT.
#18 Tennessee 4, #7 Texas 2
Singles – Order of Finish (6,1,2,3,4)
1. #59 Katrina Scott (TENN) def. #1 Carmen Herea (TEX) 7-6 (6), 6-2
2. Vanesa Suarez (TENN) def. #12 Anastasia Abbagnato (TEX) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. #71 Eszter Meri (TEX) def. #18 Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) 7-6 (8), 6-2
4. #92 Catherine Aulia (TENN) def. Christasha McNeil (TEX) 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
5. Elizabeth Ionescu (TEX) vs. Francesca Mattioli (TENN) 6-3, 1-6, 5-5, unf.
6. Mathilde Ngijol-Carré (TEX) def. Audrey Aulia (TENN) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles – Order of Finish (1,3,2)
1. #53 Anastasia Abbagnato/Salma Drugdova (TEX) def. #74 Vanesa Suarez/Francesca Mattioli (TENN) 6-2
2. #24 Leyla Britez Risso/Catherine Aulia (TENN) def. #71 Elizabeth Ionescu/Christasha McNeil (TEX) 7-5
3. Katrina Scott/Maeve Thornton (TENN) def. Carmen Herea/Mathilde Ngijol-Carré (TEX) 6-3
Players Mentioned
