The OUAZ women's tennis team split a pair of home matches at the Surprise Tennis Courts over the past two weeks, narrowly falling to Arizona Christian before dropping a nonconference contest to Utah Tech.
OUAZ 4, ACU 3 (Feb. 27)
OUAZ earned a tight 4–3 victory over Arizona Christian on Feb. 27, overcoming an early doubles deficit with a strong performance in singles play.
Arizona Christian claimed the doubles point by winning two of the three matches. The Firestorm's teams of Gracie Madeya and Savannah Salvin at No. 2 doubles and Eloise Bigot and Ava Zink at No. 3 doubles each secured victories to give ACU a 1–0 advantage heading into singles.
OUAZ responded in dominant fashion during singles competition, winning four of the six courts to clinch the match.
At the top of the lineup, Martina Antich led the way with a convincing 6–3, 6–3 win over Eloise Diligent in No. 1 singles. Michelle Pugh followed with another straight-set victory, defeating Ana Alvarez Diaz 6–2, 6–2 at No. 2.
OUAZ continued its surge in the middle of the lineup as Antonia Kostoff earned a 6–1, 6–4 win over Gracie Madeya at No. 3 singles, while Sienna Johnson cruised past Ava Zink 6–1, 6–3 at No. 4 to secure the match-clinching point.
Arizona Christian picked up its remaining points at the bottom of the lineup. Eloise Bigot battled to a three-set victory over Nikola Rusinova at No. 5 singles, and Savannah Salvin defeated Yasmine Hawkins 6–0, 6–2 at No. 6.
OUAZ 0, Utah Tech 7 (Mar. 11)
In their next outing on March 11, OUAZ hosted Utah Tech, which entered the match with a 6–10 record and delivered a 7–0 sweep.
Utah Tech quickly took control by claiming all three doubles matches to secure the opening point. The Trailblazers then continued their momentum in singles play, winning each match in straight sets.
OUAZ's top players faced stiff competition throughout the lineup. Antich fell to Mar Zurita Berdecio in No. 1 singles, while Pugh was defeated by A. Gutierrez Sampere at No. 2. Utah Tech also picked up wins over Kostoff, Johnson, Rusinova and Hawkins in the remaining courts to complete the sweep.
Despite the setback, the earlier victory over Arizona Christian highlighted the team's ability to battle back after dropping the doubles point, showcasing the strength of OUAZ's singles lineup.
OUAZ will look to regroup and build on that singles momentum as the season continues.
