Women's Tennis Set for Two-Match Road Trip

NORMAN – The No. 12 Oklahoma women's tennis team is set for a pair of top-15 SEC matchups in the Lone Star State this weekend, beginning with No. 11 Texas on Friday before traveling east to face No. 5 Texas A&M on Sunday.

MATCHDAY BASICS

First serve against the Longhorns is set for 2 p.m. CT on Friday at the Texas Tennis Center. Fans can keep up with the action through live stats or by watching on PlaySight.

Sunday's match against the Aggies is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT at the Mitchell Tennis Center. The contest can be followed through live stats and live video.

LAST TIME OUT

Oklahoma defeated No. 62 Arkansas, 4-3, on Feb. 22 in its inaugural Southeastern Conference (SEC) match at the Billingsley Tennis Center. Women's tennis became OU's second program to win its SEC conference opener after officially joining the league on July 1, 2024.

Trailing 1-0 heading into singles after dropping just their third doubles point of the season, No. 64 Emma Staker delivered a quick 6-1, 6-0 win for the Sooners to get the away team on the board. Adding to OU's momentum, No. 33 Alina Shcherbinina (6-0, 6-3) and Gloriana Nahum (6-3, 6-0) followed closely behind with straight-set victories. To clinch the match and fourth ranked win of the season for the Sooners, Ounmuang came out on top at court three, 6-1, 6-3.

SOONERS IN THE RANKINGS

Oklahoma currently sits at No. 12 in the ITA team rankings. The squad reached a season-high ranking of No. 3 on Feb. 12, their best ranking since being tabbed No. 2 during the 2022 campaign which remains the highest ranking in program history. OU's impressive resume includes three ranked wins over top-15 opponents.

Additionally, the Sooners have four players in the ITA singles rankings. Leading the pack is No. 12 Julia Garcia Ruiz, followed by No. 33 Alina Shcherbinina, No. 64 Emma Staker and No. 105 Ava Catanzarite.

In doubles, OU is represented by No. 40 Shcherbinina and Cara Mester, followed by No. 42 Garcia Ruiz and Chloé Noël, No. 53 Salakthip Ounmuang and Gloriana Nahum, and No. 83 Ounmuang and Roisin Gilheany.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Oklahoma's Emma Staker has been a consistent bright spot in the middle of the Sooners' lineup. The senior from Tulsa, Okla., has been a four-year starter for the Sooners. Starting all of her singles matches at the No. 4 position this spring, Staker boasts a team-leading 6-1 duals record.

The longest tenured Sooner, Staker is closing in on 100 wins, currently holding a 92-38 career record at OU. A two-time All-Big 12 No. 6 Singles Position Champion, Staker has outscored opponents 89-45 to start her final spring campaign in Norman.

A FRESHMAN IMPACT

Salakthip Ounmuang was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week on Wednesday following her performance in the Sooners' 4-3 conference-opening win over Arkansas on Saturday. The weekly honor is the first of Ounmuang's career and the first SEC Freshman of the Week honor in OU women's tennis history.

Holding a 3-2 advantage in the team race, Ounmuang met Arkansas' Anet Koskel and delivered a quick 6-1, 6-3, win to clinch the match and fourth ranked win of the season for the Sooners in their first true road contest against the No. 62 Razorbacks. Splitting time between No. 2 and No. 3 singles, Ounmuang holds a 5-3 dual record this spring.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION

No. 11 Texas (6-4, 0-1 SEC) enters Friday's match with losses coming against USC (3-4), Michigan (1-4) and twice to Texas A&M (2-4 and 3-4). Six UT singles players were included in the latest ITA singles rankings that were released on Feb. 20, four of which are freshmen with two in the top-60. Leading the pack for the Longhorns is newcomer No. 25 Carmen Andrea Herea. Named SEC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 5, Herea holds a 6-3 singles record at the No. 2 position. In doubles, the duo of Ashton Bowers and Sabina Zeynalova are ranked No. 36.

Friday's match will be the 46th edition, and first as members of the SEC, between the Sooners and Longhorns with the two sides first squaring off in 1975. Texas leads the all-time series 42-3.

No. 5 Texas A&M (10-1, 1-0 SEC) enters Sunday's match with its lone loss coming in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships to top-ranked Georgia, 1-4. It will be the Sooners' second meeting this season with the Aggies. OU met the defending national champions in the semifinals of ITA National Indoors on Feb. 10, which saw A&M sneak away with a 4-2 win. No. 90 Mia Kupres leads the team in singles victories with nine wins, including two victories over ranked opponents. In doubles, the junior partners with Mary Stoiana as the 55th-ranked duo in the country. Stoiana, the 2024 ITA National Player of the Year, holds a 5-1 singles record and currently sits at No. 3 in the ITA poll to pace the Maroon & White.

Sunday's match will be the 30th meeting between the Sooners and Aggies with inaugural showdown coming in 1981. Texas A&M leads the all-time series 23-6.

UP NEXT

The Sooners will return to Norman for their home conference opener against Missouri on Friday, March 7. First serve against the Tigers is set for 5 p.m. CT at the Headington Family Tennis Center. Posters, roster cards and "ace" shirts will be available to fans for free until supplies last.

FOLLOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

For updates, follow @OU_Wtennis on Twitter and Instagram, or like Oklahoma Women's Tennis on Facebook.