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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
Individual Match Key Moments
(by order of finish)
Doubles No. 1: Abbagnato/Drugdova (TEX) def. Suarez/Mattioli (TENN) 6-2
Match: Texas closed on a 4-0 run including two deuce-point breaks for 4-2 and 6-2.
Doubles No. 3: Scott/Thornton (TENN) def. Herea/Ngijol-Carré (TEX) 6-3
Match: Texas broke first for a 2-1 lead, but Tennessee broke back. The Longhorns later had a break chance, but the Volunteers held for 4-3 then broke for 5-3 and held at deuce again for 6-3 and the match.
Doubles No. 2: Britez Risso/Aulia (TENN) def. Ionescu/McNeil (TEX) 7-5
Match: Texas broke first for a 3-2 lead, and although Tennessee broke back at deuce, the Longhorns broke again for 4-3 and consolidated for 5-3. However, Tennessee closed 4-0 with the last two coming at deuce.
Singles No. 6: Ngijol-Carré (TEX) def. Aulia (TENN) 6-2, 6-0
Set One: Ngijol-Carré started 3-0 with two breaks, including at deuce for 3-0. That would be the first of five straight breaks with the last one at deuce for Ngijol-Carré for 5-2 before she served out.
Set Two: Ngijol-Carré swept the second set with no deuce points.
Singles No. 1: Scott (TENN) def. Herea (TEX) 7-6 (6), 6-2
Set One: Scott moved out to a 3-0 lead, but Herea answered with a 4-0 run capped by a deuce-point break. The next game also went to deuce but Scott broke back. Herea broke again for 6-5, but Scott again broke back for a tiebreaker.
Set One Tiebreaker: The players exchanged leads throughout until Herea led, 6-5, but Scott won three straight for 8-6 and the set.
Set Two: The first three games were breaks with Scott winning two at deuce for 2-1. She then also held at deuce for 3-1. Herea held for 3-2, but Scott closed on a 3-0 run.
Singles No. 2: Suarez (TENN) def. Abbagnato (TEX) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Set One: Abbagnato held and broke at deuce for 2-0 and although Suarez broke back at deuce, Abbagnato broke again at deuce to start a 4-0 run for the set. She also broke at deuce for 5-1.
Set Two: The first six games were breaks until Suarez held for a 4-3 lead. She later broke against deuce for 6-4 and the set.
Set Three: After Abbagnato held at deuce for 1-1, Suarez won consecutive deuce points to start a 4-0 run that she capped with a deuce-point break. The last two games were then held.
Singles No. 3: Meri (TEX) def. Britez Risso (TENN) 7-6 (8), 6-2
Set One: The players exchanged breaks starting with Britez Risso for 2-1 and 2-2 and again for 6-5 and 6-6.
Set One Tiebreaker: Britez Risso got out to a 4-0 lead, but Meri came back with a 3-0 run and eventually deflected two set points to tie it, 6-6, and take then take a 7-6 lead. Meri also led 8-7 and 9-8 before winning, 10-8.
Set Two: Meri broke at deuce for 1-0, and after Britez Risso broke back, Meri went on a 4-0 run for 5-1. The last two games were then held for Meri's win.
Singles No. 4: C Aulia (TENN) def. McNeil (TEX) 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
Set One: McNeil started on a 4-0 run before winning 6-1.
Set Two: McNeil broke to open, but Aulia broke back. McNeil later broke again for a 3-2 lead and it was the first of four-straight breaks. Aulia finally held on a deuce point for a 5-4 lead and McNeil later held at deuce for 6-6.
Set Two Tiebreaker: Aulia moved out to a 4-0 lead on the way to a 7-2 win.
Set Three: Aulia broke at deuce and held for 2-0. McNeil held at deuce for 2-1, but Aulia held and broke for 4-1. McNeil broke back at deuce, but Aulia broke again and held for the match.
Singles No. 5: Ionescu (TEX) vs. Mattioli (TENN) 6-3, 1-6, 5-5, unf.
Set One: Ionescu got out to a 4-0 lead, and although Mattioli won the next three with the last of those at deuce, Ionescu held and broke for the set.
Set Two: The players exchanged breaks starting with Mattioli, who then went on a 5-0 run for the set.
Set Three: Mattioli won the first three games, but Ionescu answered the run with the last two at deuce. The rest of the set was on serve to 5-5 when play stopped.
