After the third day of the ITA Texas Regional Championship, junior Aeriel Ellis survives as the only Longhorn to reach the semifinals. Ellis, along with senior Krista Damico, did meet defeat in the doubles quarterfinal and the other Texas doubles duo sophomore Cierra Gaytan-Leach and freshman Noel Scott also fell in the quarterfinals.
The weekend proved overall a success for Texas, as six players moved into the singles round of 32. The Longhorns have proved a consistent doubles effort so far this season, but this tournament displayed the depth of their singles lineup.
The tournament is now Ellis’ for the taking as she seeks to reclaim the title she won as a freshman. In her quarterfinal match, Ellis only needed to post one game before her opponent retired, allowing Ellis to remain fresh for her upcoming semifinals. Head coach Patty Fendick-McCain had hoped this tournament would be one that Texas would win, which is still up for grabs if Ellis can get past Texas A&M’s Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar in her semifinal match today.