Friday, January 30
Malibu, Calif.
2:00 PM
Texas A&M
1
at
4
Pepperdine
Photo by: Chris Swann/Texas A&M Athletics
No. 2 Aggies Fall to No. 19 Pepperdine
Jan 30, 2026 | Women's Tennis
MALIBU – The No. 2 Texas A&M women's tennis dropped a 4-1 decision to the No. 19 Pepperdine Waves at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.
The final tally belied the tightness of the match with the doubles point won with a tiebreaker and four of the singles matches going to three sets.
Doubles play swung in Pepperdine's favor, as the Waves claimed two of the three courts to take the opening point, 1-0. The Aggies earned an early win on court 5 as Lexington Reed/Daria Smetannikov toppled Shihomi Leong/Duru Soke, 6-3, but the Waves answered on the remaining courts. Mia Kupres/Lucciana Perez fell in a 6-4 decision on court 1. Pepperdine captured the point on court 3 where No. 76 Violeta Martinez/Anna Perelman dropped a 7-6 nail-biter.
Perez put the Aggies on the board, earning the first singles win of the afternoon with a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over No. 7 Anastasia Grechkina on court 2. Pepperdine responded shortly after as Reed fell to Sonja Zhiyenbayeva in three sets on court 3, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Waves extended their lead with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory by Soke over Perelman on court 6. Chantal Sauvant clinched the match for Pepperdine on court 4, defeating Martinez in a three-set barn-burner, 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, to seal the final, 4-1.
No. 34 Kupres and No. 83 Smetannikov were nearing the end of their matches when play concluded.
#19 Pepperdine 4, #2 Texas A&M 1
Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center – Malibu, California
SINGLES
#34 Mia Kupres (A&M) vs. Živa Falkner (PEP) – 5-7, 7-6(3), 4-4, unfinished
Lucciana Perez (A&M) def. #7 Anastasiia Grechkina (PEP) – 7-6(4), 6-1
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (PEP) def. Lexington Reed (A&M) – 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Chantal Sauvant (PEP) def. Violeta Martinez (A&M) – 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2
#83 Daria Smetannikov (A&M) vs. Shihomi Leong (PEP) – 3-6, 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
Duru Söke (PEP) def. Anna Perelman (A&M) – 7-6(4), 6-4
Order of Finish – 2,3,6,4
DOUBLES
Falkner/Zhiyenbayeva (PEP) def. Kupres/Perez (A&M) - 6-4
Sauvant/Grechkina (PEP) def. #76 Martinez/Perelman (A&M) - 7-6
Reed/Smetannikov (A&M) def. Soke/Leong (PEP) - 6-3
Order of Finish – 3,1,2
The Aggies return to action in California Sunday when they face San Diego in a noon contest.
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.
The final tally belied the tightness of the match with the doubles point won with a tiebreaker and four of the singles matches going to three sets.
Doubles play swung in Pepperdine's favor, as the Waves claimed two of the three courts to take the opening point, 1-0. The Aggies earned an early win on court 5 as Lexington Reed/Daria Smetannikov toppled Shihomi Leong/Duru Soke, 6-3, but the Waves answered on the remaining courts. Mia Kupres/Lucciana Perez fell in a 6-4 decision on court 1. Pepperdine captured the point on court 3 where No. 76 Violeta Martinez/Anna Perelman dropped a 7-6 nail-biter.
Perez put the Aggies on the board, earning the first singles win of the afternoon with a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over No. 7 Anastasia Grechkina on court 2. Pepperdine responded shortly after as Reed fell to Sonja Zhiyenbayeva in three sets on court 3, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Waves extended their lead with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory by Soke over Perelman on court 6. Chantal Sauvant clinched the match for Pepperdine on court 4, defeating Martinez in a three-set barn-burner, 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, to seal the final, 4-1.
No. 34 Kupres and No. 83 Smetannikov were nearing the end of their matches when play concluded.
#19 Pepperdine 4, #2 Texas A&M 1
Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center – Malibu, California
SINGLES
#34 Mia Kupres (A&M) vs. Živa Falkner (PEP) – 5-7, 7-6(3), 4-4, unfinished
Lucciana Perez (A&M) def. #7 Anastasiia Grechkina (PEP) – 7-6(4), 6-1
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (PEP) def. Lexington Reed (A&M) – 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Chantal Sauvant (PEP) def. Violeta Martinez (A&M) – 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2
#83 Daria Smetannikov (A&M) vs. Shihomi Leong (PEP) – 3-6, 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
Duru Söke (PEP) def. Anna Perelman (A&M) – 7-6(4), 6-4
Order of Finish – 2,3,6,4
DOUBLES
Falkner/Zhiyenbayeva (PEP) def. Kupres/Perez (A&M) - 6-4
Sauvant/Grechkina (PEP) def. #76 Martinez/Perelman (A&M) - 7-6
Reed/Smetannikov (A&M) def. Soke/Leong (PEP) - 6-3
Order of Finish – 3,1,2
The Aggies return to action in California Sunday when they face San Diego in a noon contest.
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.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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