The Texas A&M women’s tennis team’s 2021-2022 season came to a close following sixth-ranked senior Jayci Goldsmith and graduate Tatiana Makarova’s loss in the NCAA doubles quarterfinals on May 26 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex.
The Aggies lost to Oklahoma State’s 12th-ranked Ayumi Miyamoto and Lisa Marie Rioux by scores of 6-3 and 6-7, respectively.
Both teams started off the first set with holds, but Oklahoma State took an early 2-1 lead. After breaking Makarova’s serve, they pulled ahead with a 4-1 score. The Aggies and the Cowgirls both recorded holds, but once again Oklahoma State stayed on top 5-2. Despite efforts from Goldsmith and Makarova, the Cowgirls took the first set 6-3.
A&M led the next set 2-0 early on and continued fighting, holding a 4-2 score. The Cowgirls were able to come back and tie the game at 4-4. Both sides recorded holds once again as well as a break during the next four games, leaving the score tied at 6-6 to force a tiebreaker. Makarova and Goldsmith were unable to overcome Miyamoto and Rioux, losing the game with a 7-3 score in favor of the Cowgirls.
Goldsmith and Makarova are the winningest doubles team in program history with a 94-36 record. This season, they registered a 35-7 mark, including a 15-4 record against nationally-ranked opponents. The duo remain the only Aggie doubles team to earn the ITA Doubles All-America honors twice. They are also the only pairing to reach the NCAA doubles quarterfinals, reaching it in both 2021 and 2022.
This marks the last game for Moscow native Makarova who played all five years of her collegiate career for the Aggies. She goes down in A&M’s record books as the only player to receive three ITA All-America honors as well as two All-SEC First Team selections. She holds the second-highest doubles win total in program history, registering 111 victories. Makarova also holds the sixth-most doubles wins in a single season, adding 36 in 2022.
The May 27 loss marks the end of the dynamic duo of Goldsmith and Makarova. For head coach Mark Weaver, he said it is hard to see it end.
“It was a rough day for us out there,” Weaver said. “We pressed a little too much and made a few too many unforced errors. Oklahoma State hardly missed a shot all day. It’s safe to say that wasn’t the best combination.”
Makarovahad an amazing career at Texas A&M, Weaver said, and her impact in singles and historic accomplishments alongside Goldsmith will be dearly missed.
“[They] won a ton of matches for us over the past four years, and it’s hard to believe that their run together has come to an end,” Weaver said.
