The No. 30 University of Arizona women’s tennis team finished the 2024–2025 regular season with a 4-0 sweep against the University of Colorado Boulder and a hard-fought 4-1 loss against No. 15 Texas Tech University.
Both matches were away, with the first taking place on Friday afternoon on April 11 at the CU South Tennis Courts in Boulder, Colorado, and the final game of the regular season taking place on Sunday morning, April 13 in Lubbock, Texas at the McLeod Tennis Center.
The Wildcats finished the regular season in fifth place in the Big 12 conference for women’s tennis and were dominant at home, going 6-1 in Tucson. They struggled more on the road, especially against ranked opponents, but showed they are real competitors in the new Big 12 conference.
Arizona vs. Colorado
The Wildcats kicked the weekend off in Boulder with a solid 6-2 doubles win from freshman Stephanie Shogreen and sophomore Josie Usereau against Mila Stanojevic and Lera Alexin. With the win, Shogreen and Usereau advance to 2-0 in doubles play, showcasing their chemistry and strength as a pairing.
The second and final doubles win for the Wildcats was delivered by senior Belen Nevenhoven and freshman Zoya Chulak against Buffs Betina Tokac and Pia Rebec as the Wildcats won 6-3. The third doubles match was played by Colorado’s Ema Bubalo and Anya Nelson vs. No. 65 Midori Castillo-Meza and Martyna Ostrzygalo but was left unfinished.
With the Wildcats starting the match strong with two doubles wins, the momentum was high heading into singles play. Ostrzygalo kept her winning streak alive as she defeated Bubalo on court 3, 6-1, 6-3 to extend Arizona’s lead. Following close behind on court 1, No. 61 Usereau defeated Stanojevic 6-3, 6-4. On court 5, sophomore Teja Tirunelveli delivered the match-winning point with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Buffs Alexin.
Arizona vs. Texas Tech
Following the sweep against Colorado, the Wildcats headed to the Lone Star State to face No. 15 Texas Tech in Lubbock. Arizona struggled against the top-20 opponent, closing out the regular season with a 4-1 loss.
The match began rocky for Arizona as the Wildcats quickly fell behind in doubles play, with No. 37-ranked pair Usereau and Danielle Tuhten losing to No. 6-ranked pair Mariia Hlahola and Avelina Sayfetdinova, 6-2. The final double’s point for the Red Raiders was delivered by Andreea Lila and Jermine Sherif against Chulak and Nevenhoven, 6-4, clinching the doubles win for Texas Tech.
Moving on to singles play, Texas Tech took the first point on court 5 with Hailey Murphy defeating Narendran 6-2, 6-1. Following that tough loss, on court 3, Ostrzygalo gave Arizona a fighting chance as she took down Hlahola, 6-0, 6-2.
It wasn’t enough for a Wildcat victory though, as the final two singles points went to Sherif and Kate Dmitrichenko of Texas Tech, clinching the win for the Red Raiders.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats are pushing forward as they shift their focus to the Big 12 Championships, set for April 16–20 in Waco, Texas, at the Hurd Tennis Center. The tournament will feature all nine men’s programs and all 16 women’s programs from across the conference.
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