The No. 31 University of Arizona women’s tennis team clinched its final home game against No. 37 TCU on Senior Day, 4-1, on Sunday, April 6, at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center in Tucson. Despite dropping the doubles point, Arizona rallied in singles play to claim the win, sending seniors Midori Castillo-Meza and Belen Nevenhoven off with a memorable home finale.
Senior Day
Before the match began, both Castillo-Meza and Nevenhoven were celebrated for their contributions to the team.
Originally from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Castillo-Meza has been a huge asset for the Wildcats including clinching critical points against Washington State University, the University of Maryland and the University of Utah. A standout both on and off the court, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week in 2023 and played a vital role in helping the team achieve its highest community service ranking in Division 1 tennis.
Nevenhoven, born in Rockford, Illinois, has been a consistent force for Arizona, leading the team in doubles wins and playing a crucial role alongside Midori Castillo-Meza as the Wildcats’ dynamic No. 3 doubles team. A standout in both singles and doubles, Nevenhoven has clinched numerous points, including key victories over Washington State, the University of Southern California and Utah, while also earning recognition as an ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2022.
Wildcats vs. Horned Frogs
The Wildcats (17-8, 7-4 in Big 12) faced early adversity in doubles competition as TCU (12-9, 7-5 in Big 12) secured the first point of the match. Arizona’s top pair of Danielle Tuhten and Josie Usereau battled against the No. 25-ranked duo of Jade Otway and Isabel Pascual but ultimately fell 6-3.
On court 3, TCU’s Raquel Caballero and Tomi Main edged out Castillo-Meza and Nevenhoven with a 6-4 win, clinching the doubles point for the Horned Frogs.
Despite the early setback, Arizona flipped the script in singles play with a dominant performance. On court 3, Martyna Ostrzygalo wasted no time evening out the match, beating Pascual in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. Tanvi Narendran kept the Wildcats rolling with an authoritative performance on court 4, defeating TCU’s Yu-Chin Tsai 6-1, 6-3.
At the No. 1 singles position, Wildcat Usereau faced a tough challenge in TCU’s Otway. After dropping the first set 6-4, Usereau fought back, going on to claim the next two sets, 6-3, 6-2.
The clinching point came courtesy of Zoya Chulak on court 6, with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-3 win over TCU’s Cayetana Gay, securing a 4-1 victory for the Wildcats to cap off a memorable Senior Day.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats are back on the road as they face No. 71 University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, Colorado on Friday, April 11, at 5 p.m. at the Meadows Club.
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