Texas A&M women’s tennis has advanced into the semifinals of the ITA Indoor Championship after it cruised to a 4-0 victory over No. 11 Ohio State on Saturday, Feb 11. This win marked the Aggies’ eighth win of the season and is the seventh time they’ve held their opponents to 0 wins.
The Aggies put their name on the board first in the quarterfinal clash thanks to strong performances on courts one and two. On court two, graduates Jayci Goldsmith and Salma Ewing rushed to a double-break advantage and never looked back, winning their match 6-3. Meanwhile on the first court, Aggie senior Carson Branstine and sophomore Mary Stoiana won a nervy battle against Buckeye sophomore Sydni Ratcliff and senior Irina Cantos Siemers. The Aggie duo got the crucial break to close out the match 6-4, securing the doubles point for the team from College Station.
In singles play, the Aggies jumped to strong leads in each match, creating commanding leads on all six courts early on. Stoiana’s match on court two finished first when the sophomore closed out her match 6-2, 6-0 against senior Irina Cantos Siemers. Immediately afterwards, A&M freshman Mia Kupres added to the lead with her equally-impressive 6-2, 6-0 win on court four.
Branstine sealed the deal for the maroon and white with her victory on court one. The senior overcame a break deficit in the second set, winning the final four games in succession to give the Aggies their crucial 4th point with a 6-2, 6-4 final score. Branstine’s victory keeps her undefeated start to the season alive as she continues to lead by example for the maroon and white.
The Aggies will continue their run in the Emerald City on Sunday, Feb. 3, where they’ll take on the winners of UNC and Michigan.