After a packed schedule in January filled with ups and downs, No. 11 Texas women’s tennis lost to the rackets of defending national champions, No. 2 Texas A&M, at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Indoor National Championship Tournament.
In an ITA Kick-Off Weekend to get the team prepared for the tournament, Texas had two intense finishes against No. 19 NC State and an unranked Baylor, barely scraping by with a 4–3 win in both.
The Longhorns’ freshman class stood out during the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. In two consecutive weeks, the Longhorns had an SEC Freshman of the Week, with Eszter Meri winning first, followed by Carmen Herea.
After a long week of preparation, Texas traveled to Champagne, Illinois, to take the court at the tournament. Texas swept the defending ITA Indoor National Team Champion, No. 3 Oklahoma State, in a 4–0 opening of the tournament.
Texas took the doubles point in a tiebreaker, followed by singles match victories. Freshman Salma Drugdova, freshman No. 105 Ashton Bowers and junior No. 78 Vivian Ovrootsky each dominated in their singles matches, taking three unanswered sets.
The high didn’t last for long. Twenty-four hours later, the Longhorns faced their in-state rivals, Texas A&M.
Freshman Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo and Bowers began doubles with a decisive win. However, Meri and senior Sabina Zeynalova dropped their doubles match, leaving the deciding match to Drugdova and Herea.
The freshman duo were downed in a tiebreaker, 7–6 (3). The Aggies broke first, but the Longhorns answered immediately and evened the score. Then again, the two teams traded blows, each winning another set. Texas won the first two points in the tiebreaker, but the Aggies took the momentum and ran off with the other sets to secure the point.
Texas quickly found themselves in a hole as A&M increased its lead in the singles matches by two while only clinching one match point.
Anazagasty-Pursoo secured Texas’ first point of the day in a close first set against Texas A&M freshman Lexington Reed on a tiebreak, 7–6 (4). Bowers continued the fight for the Longhorns’ second and final point of the quarterfinals against Aggie junior Mia Kupres, who led the first set of the match.
Former Longhorn No. 12 Nicole Khirin secured the Aggies’ spot in the semifinals versus Meri. The match was back and forth until the former Big 12 Player of the Year went on a 4–0 run to knock off Texas in the quarterfinals, 4–2.
In the consolation bracket, Texas lost to No. 7 Michigan 4–1.
Texas will return to the court on Feb. 20 against TCU and will have a chance to avenge their quarterfinal loss to A&M at home on Feb. 23.
