Longhorns clinch a 4-0 victory for their final home game and senior day
April 2, 2021
The Texas women’s tennis team celebrated senior day and the last home game of the season with a convincing 4-0 victory over the Houston Cougars.
Texas, coming into the season with almost an entirely new roster guided by head coach Howard Joffe, made astronomical progress throughout the year and faced the Cougars with a formidable 17–1 record, their one loss to the current top-ranked team in the nation, the University of North Carolina.
The dynamic senior duo of Anna Turati and Fernanda Labraña took to the doubles courts again today looking to improve off of Tuesday’s performance against Texas State. The match, however, was abandoned prematurely despite the pair leading for the majority of the match.
Turati and Labraña enjoyed their senior day by competing with the same dominance they have displayed all season.
The pair lost a set to North Carolina’s No. 45-ranked Cameron Morra and Elizabeth Scotty with a 4-2 first set at the International Tennis Association’s National Team Indoor Championship. Progressing through the year, the two have yet to lose another match. Based on their recent performances, another loss does not seem likely soon.
Labraña and Turati’s innate chemistry has notched them 10 incredible wins against top 50 ranked opponents.
“We just know each other so well, and I love spending time with her,” Turati said. “And I feel like knowing each other that well, it shows up on the court too.”
Freshman doubles pair Peyton Stearns and No. 56-ranked Charlotte Chavatipon put on an incredible show in their doubles match on doubles court No. 2. After a trademark cannon forehand return from Stearns, the Cougars managed to secure a point in the first set with light speed reflexes at the net, spiking the ball back onto the Texas side.
Unfazed by the adversity, Chavatipon and Stearns carried on and secured the doubles point for the Longhorns in a 6-3 victory in the first set.
All three Longhorn seniors made appearances on the singles court Friday, each of them fighting for one last singles victory on their home court.
On singles court No. 1, Turati, ranked No. 18 nationally, was not distracted by the senior day theatrics and took a quick 4-0 lead in the first set. With her foot on the gas, Turati continued to dominate throughout the first set, floating around the court and offering little chance of victory to her opponent.
After an extensive rally, Turati clinched a perfect 6-0 first set. With a final solid spike, the senior gained a third singles point for the Longhorns and improved her career singles record to 109–18. Turati was visibly overcome with emotion and wiped a tear from her eye after her final victory as a Longhorn at the Texas Tennis Center.
Sending her opponent back and forth across the court, Labraña showcased her impressive offensive tool kit and sent herself into a 6-1 win in the first set. After a double fault from her opponent in the second set, Labraña clinched another 6-1 win and put the Longhorns in a 3-0 lead.
The Longhorns dominated the singles courts and secured a 4-0 win for their final home game of the season. The team will now look ahead for a hopeful Big 12 and NCAA title in postseason play.