No. 3 UTA women’s tennis upset No. 2 Tarleton State University to clinch a 4-2 win Friday at the Arlington Tennis Center.
The team secured its spot in the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament championships final Saturday against No. 1 seed Grand Canyon University.
After dropping a hard-fought doubles point, the Mavericks clawed their way back in singles play with gritty performances.
Head coach Diego Benitez said he appreciates the battles against in-state rival Tarleton and looks forward to representing Texas in the tournament final.
“Tarleton is such a tough team. Every time we play, it’s just big battles,” Benitez said. “We’re very glad to have a rivalry with them so close from home, so it’s a great team. Big respect for the coaches and the players.”
UTA’s room for error shrank after a 1-0 finish in doubles. The Mavericks came back with three thrilling singles victories.
After a difficult opening round in doubles, senior Ana Paula Jimenez rebounded in singles to set the tone for her teammates. She was the first to complete her matchup en route to a victory in straight sets, securing UTA’s first point.
Jimenez said playing under the windy conditions the day prior helped prepare her to take advantage of the conditions during Friday’s match.
Junior Valeriia Ivanovskaia followed Jimenez’s lead, boasting two 6-3 wins, furthering the lead for the Mavericks.
However, Tarleton freshman Maria Castano won the team’s lone singles victory, tying the match at 2-2 in straight sets over UTA senior Nika Novikova. The dropped point shifted the pressure to the three remaining Mavericks.
After UTA freshman Maria Lucia Araoz-Gosn won her first set 6-1, she said physical ailments took a toll in the second set.
“I was getting very tired, I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I also started cramping in both of my legs. My game is very physical also, so that affected me a lot, but I brought myself back together because I did not want to play a third set.”
Despite the setbacks, Araoz-Gosn’s determination to avoid a third set carried her to a 6-3 win, with UTA needing one more point for the victory.
All eyes shifted to senior Ioana Dumitrescu.
After Dumitrescu took the first singles set 6-1, TSU’s junior Ximena Morales had other plans, storming back to win the second set 6-3.
The struggles continued for Dumitrescu to begin the third set. She dug herself into a 0-2 deficit with all focus on her match.
However, with her teammates rallying behind her, Dumitrescu reignited her fire from the opening set and battled back to win six straight games, bringing home the victory for UTA 4-2.
Benitez awarded Dumitrescu the match’s “MVP” chain for closing the deal for the Mavericks.
“Having people to hold you from the back and give you that extra motivation and support that, maybe in the moment, you don’t have the energy to do it, it gives you better wins,” Dumitrescu said.
The team will face Grand Canyon University in the title game at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex at Southern Methodist University’s campus due to impending weather. The match will be available to stream on Western Athletic Conference International.
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