The No. 24 ranked Aggie womens tennis team broke a three-match losing streak, defeating the No. 6 Texas Longhorns with a final tally of 4-3 on Senior Night. The victory against Texas is the highest against a ranked opponent since 2005, when the Aggies defeated the No. 5 USC Trojans.
It feels great. I dont even know what all the history is because I havent been around, but I know that we are a team that has not beaten Texas for a number of years, A&M coach Howard Joffe said. It was really a great team effort. Simply stated, Im delighted and Im delighted for our kids. They deserve it.
The night started out with three doubles matches. The Aggies stood toe to toe against the Longhorns, who were 5-0 getting the critical doubles point in Big 12 play. That was until tonight, when the Aggies won two of the three matches, starting the night with a key surge of momentum.
Aggie seniors Sheri Olivier and Lauren Santacroce started the doubles point chase with an 8-3 win. The 50th ranked pairing of Aggie juniors Cristina Sanchez-Quiuntanar and Wen Sun then took care of business with an 8-5 win.
In the singles action, eighth ranked Sanchez-Quintanar cruised past No. 62 Krista Damico in straight sets 6-3, 6-0. After being down 3-1 in the first set, Sanchez-Quintanar won the next 11 points to take the victory. Sun also won her match with ease by a final score of 6-2, 6-0, tying the night up 3-3.
The team victory came down to a match between Aggie junior Nazari Urbina and Texas Aeriel Ellis. In a matchup that saw long rallies and impressive conditioning, Urbina was able to use her power to overwhelm Ellis and give the Aggies the 4-3 win.
I just tried to play my game, Urbina said. Basically, I was just trying to play aggressive. [Ellis] is a good player. It was a good win and Im glad I got to clinch the match.
After losing the previous three matches to No. 12 Baylor, No. 18 Notre Dame and No. 22 Texas Tech, the Aggies earned an important win as they head toward post-season competition. The win against Texas (13-6, 6-1 Big 12) is the first defeat for the Longhorns in Big 12 play this season. The Aggies, meanwhile, improve to a 14-4 record with a 5-2 conference record.
When you come to Texas A&M and you know the rivalry that we have with Texas, it is a goal you have as a tennis player and as an athlete to beat Texas, Urbina said. Im glad that we beat them, especially this year since it will be the last time that we play them in the Big 12.