Saturday, February 8
Champaign, Ill.
3:30 PM
Texas A&M
4
vs
2
Texas
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Photo by: Illinois Fighting Illini
Aggies Advance to ITA Indoors Semis with Win over Texas
Feb 08, 2025 | Women's Tennis
URBANA – The No. 2 Texas A&M women's tennis team churned out a 4-2 victory over the No. 11 Texas Longhorns in Saturday's quarterfinal action of the ITA National Indoor Team Championships at Atkins Tennis Center.
No. 12 Nicole Khirin delivered the clinching point on court 2. She pounced early with a 6-2 win in the first set. After Khirin opened with a 4-1 advantage in the second set, No. 92 Eszter Meri won six of the next seven games to send the match to a third set. Khirin broke Meri's serve in the third set to go up 3-1 and the contest would not be tied the rest of the way in the 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 triumph.
In doubles action, Texas held the early advantage with Ashton Bowers/Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo knocking off Mary Stoiana and Lucciana Perez on court 1, 6-2. On court 3, Jeanette Mireles/Khirin and Meri/Sabina Zeynalova traded games until 5-5. The A&M duo fell behind 0-15 and then won eight of the next 10 points to prevail 7-5. The Maroon & White finished off doubles surviving a meatgrinder on court 2. Daria Smetannikov/Mia Kupres took a 5-3 lead over Salma Drugdova/Carmen Andreea Herea before the Longhorn pair fought back to 6-6. In the tiebreaker, Texas A&M let a 3-1 edge slip away, but after Drugdova/Herea tied it 3-3 the Aggies rattled off the last four points.
No. 125 Smetannikov made quick work of Drugdova, staking Texas A&M to a 2-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-3 victory on court 5.
The Longhorns scratched out their first singles win on court 6. A&M's Lexington Reed took a 4-1 lead in the first set, but No. 39 Anazagasty-Pursoo won the next four games. The set went to a tiebreaker with Texas busting a 4-4 stalemate behind three straight closing points. Anazagasty-Pursoo ultimately prevailed 7-6, 6-3.
No. 2 Stoiana uncharacteristically fell behind, dropping her first set to No. 71 Zeynalova 6-1 on court 1. After losing the first game of the second set, she stormed back to win 12 of the next 14 games. The flurry resulted in a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph for the 3-1 Aggie advantage.
The Longhorns' final point came on court 3 with No. 105 Bowers fighting back to best No. 101 Kupres, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Moments before Khirin clinched the match, No. 41 Perez sent her match on court 4 to a third set. She split her sets with the Burnt Orange's No. 25 Andreea Herea, 6-7 (5), 7-5.
Texas A&M heads to Evanston, Illinois, for Monday's semifinal round against the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners at Combe Tennis Center. The match time is either 3:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. The Aggies last faced their new SEC brethren in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament with A&M prevailing 4-0 at Mitchell Tennis Center en route to winning the national title.
Head Coach Mark Weaver Quote
Thoughts on the match...
"Overall that was a great college tennis match. That's the first time we've been challenged all season. Texas has had several close matches already this year. I know they have won two matches with 7-6 on third set of the deciding match, so they've known what the pressure feels like out there. We had some struggles with the pressure of the situation, but overall I'm very proud of our group and how we handled it. It's always a mental match anytime we play Texas. Walking out with a 4-2 win indoors is exciting for our team this early in the season.
On what's next...
It's a quick turnaround. We're have to make a drive to Northwestern and get a practice in tomorrow. We'll come out swinging in the semifinals against Oklahoma.
ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
QUARTERFINAL – #2 Texas A&M 4, #11 Texas 2
Atkins Tennis Center – Urbana, Illinois
SINGLES
#3 Mary Stoiana (A&M) def. #71 Sabina Zeynaloa (UT) – 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
#12 Nicole Khirin (A&M) def. #92 Eszter Meri (UT) – 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
#105 Ashton Bowers (UT) def. #101 Mia Kupres (A&M) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
#41 Lucciana Perez (A&M) vs. #25 Carmen Andreea Herea (UT) – 6-7 (5), 7-5, unfinished
#125 Daria Smetannikov (A&M) def. Salma Drugdova (UT) – 6-1, 6-3
#39 Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (UT) def. Lexington Reed (A&M) – 7-6 (4), 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 1, 3, 2
DOUBLES
Bowers/Anazagasty-Pursoo (UT) def. Stoiana/Perez (A&M) – 6-2
Kupres/Smetannikov (A&M) def. Drugdova/ Herea (UT) – 7-6 (3)
Jeanette Mireles/Khirin (A&M) def. Meri/Zeynalova (UT) – 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on X by following @AggieWTEN.
No. 12 Nicole Khirin delivered the clinching point on court 2. She pounced early with a 6-2 win in the first set. After Khirin opened with a 4-1 advantage in the second set, No. 92 Eszter Meri won six of the next seven games to send the match to a third set. Khirin broke Meri's serve in the third set to go up 3-1 and the contest would not be tied the rest of the way in the 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 triumph.
In doubles action, Texas held the early advantage with Ashton Bowers/Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo knocking off Mary Stoiana and Lucciana Perez on court 1, 6-2. On court 3, Jeanette Mireles/Khirin and Meri/Sabina Zeynalova traded games until 5-5. The A&M duo fell behind 0-15 and then won eight of the next 10 points to prevail 7-5. The Maroon & White finished off doubles surviving a meatgrinder on court 2. Daria Smetannikov/Mia Kupres took a 5-3 lead over Salma Drugdova/Carmen Andreea Herea before the Longhorn pair fought back to 6-6. In the tiebreaker, Texas A&M let a 3-1 edge slip away, but after Drugdova/Herea tied it 3-3 the Aggies rattled off the last four points.
No. 125 Smetannikov made quick work of Drugdova, staking Texas A&M to a 2-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-3 victory on court 5.
The Longhorns scratched out their first singles win on court 6. A&M's Lexington Reed took a 4-1 lead in the first set, but No. 39 Anazagasty-Pursoo won the next four games. The set went to a tiebreaker with Texas busting a 4-4 stalemate behind three straight closing points. Anazagasty-Pursoo ultimately prevailed 7-6, 6-3.
No. 2 Stoiana uncharacteristically fell behind, dropping her first set to No. 71 Zeynalova 6-1 on court 1. After losing the first game of the second set, she stormed back to win 12 of the next 14 games. The flurry resulted in a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph for the 3-1 Aggie advantage.
The Longhorns' final point came on court 3 with No. 105 Bowers fighting back to best No. 101 Kupres, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Moments before Khirin clinched the match, No. 41 Perez sent her match on court 4 to a third set. She split her sets with the Burnt Orange's No. 25 Andreea Herea, 6-7 (5), 7-5.
Texas A&M heads to Evanston, Illinois, for Monday's semifinal round against the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners at Combe Tennis Center. The match time is either 3:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. The Aggies last faced their new SEC brethren in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament with A&M prevailing 4-0 at Mitchell Tennis Center en route to winning the national title.
Head Coach Mark Weaver Quote
Thoughts on the match...
"Overall that was a great college tennis match. That's the first time we've been challenged all season. Texas has had several close matches already this year. I know they have won two matches with 7-6 on third set of the deciding match, so they've known what the pressure feels like out there. We had some struggles with the pressure of the situation, but overall I'm very proud of our group and how we handled it. It's always a mental match anytime we play Texas. Walking out with a 4-2 win indoors is exciting for our team this early in the season.
On what's next...
It's a quick turnaround. We're have to make a drive to Northwestern and get a practice in tomorrow. We'll come out swinging in the semifinals against Oklahoma.
ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
QUARTERFINAL – #2 Texas A&M 4, #11 Texas 2
Atkins Tennis Center – Urbana, Illinois
SINGLES
#3 Mary Stoiana (A&M) def. #71 Sabina Zeynaloa (UT) – 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
#12 Nicole Khirin (A&M) def. #92 Eszter Meri (UT) – 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
#105 Ashton Bowers (UT) def. #101 Mia Kupres (A&M) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
#41 Lucciana Perez (A&M) vs. #25 Carmen Andreea Herea (UT) – 6-7 (5), 7-5, unfinished
#125 Daria Smetannikov (A&M) def. Salma Drugdova (UT) – 6-1, 6-3
#39 Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (UT) def. Lexington Reed (A&M) – 7-6 (4), 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 1, 3, 2
DOUBLES
Bowers/Anazagasty-Pursoo (UT) def. Stoiana/Perez (A&M) – 6-2
Kupres/Smetannikov (A&M) def. Drugdova/ Herea (UT) – 7-6 (3)
Jeanette Mireles/Khirin (A&M) def. Meri/Zeynalova (UT) – 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on X by following @AggieWTEN.
Georgia Postgame: Mark Weaver, Mary Stoiana, Mia Kupres
Sunday, May 18
Michigan Postgame: Mark Weaver, Nicole Khirin, Lexington Reed
Saturday, May 17
NCAA Team Championship Preview: Daria Smetannikov
Monday, May 12
NCAA Team Championship Preview: Mia Kupres
Monday, May 12
