OU Set to Host NCAA Norman Regional

NORMAN – The sixth-seeded Oklahoma women's tennis team will make its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance Friday, hosting Denver in the first round of the Norman Regional at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

First serve against the Pioneers is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. Cracked Racquets will provide live CrossCourt Cast coverage on YouTube, with individual court streams available via PlaySight. Fans can also follow along with live stats.

The other first-round matchup will feature Oklahoma State and Tulsa. The winners of Friday's matches will meet in the second round Saturday at 2 p.m., with the winner advancing to the super regionals next weekend.

MATCHDAY BASICS

Tickets are on sale for the two-day regional. Daily general admission is $5, and University of Oklahoma students receive free admission with a valid student ID. Admission is also free for the first 200 OU fans. Tickets can be purchased online, or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 800-456-GoOU.

Fans are encouraged to wear crimson and arrive early for a pre-match tailgate beginning at noon Friday in front of the Headington Family Tennis Center. Free hot dogs and crimson poms will be available while supplies last. Select concession items will also be for sale.

In-venue concessions will include packaged snacks, bottled Coca-Cola products, and an assortment of beer, seltzer and ready-to-drink beverages. Outside food and drinks are permitted. OU's clear bag policy will be enforced.

SOONER STORYLINES

SEASON RECAP

The Sooners concluded their inaugural SEC season with a 19-6 overall record and an 11-4 mark in league play. OU earned a top-three seed in a conference championship for the fourth consecutive year and made it to the semifinals after defeating LSU 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

OU closed the regular season on a six-match winning streak, going undefeated in April. The Sooners' signature victories came during one weekend at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship: a 4-2 win over No. 6 Michigan on Feb. 7, followed by a 4-3 upset of No. 7 Michigan on Feb. 8.

Four of Oklahoma's five regular-season losses came on the road and were all against top-15 opponents, including two losses to Texas A&M and one each to Texas, Georgia and Tennessee.

NCAA HISTORY

Oklahoma has made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history: 1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The Sooners hold a 14-15 all-time record in NCAA Tournament matches.

OU has advanced past the first round eight times: 1996, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The program's deepest NCAA run came in 2022, when the Sooners finished as national runners-up following a 4-1 loss to Texas in the championship match.

This year's No. 6 seed is the second highest in program history for Oklahoma, which is making its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth under head coach Audra Cohen. It also marks the fifth time OU has hosted first and second round matches, and the first time the program has earned a tournament berth in five consecutive seasons.

OU VS. THE FIELD

Friday's match will mark the first-ever meeting between Oklahoma and Denver. Winners of the Summit League Tournament, the Pioneers are making their 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 14th overall.

Oklahoma has faced in-state rival Oklahoma State 60 times in program history. The Cowgirls will make their 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend after reaching the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship. The Sooners are 24-36 all-time against OSU in a series that began in 1975.

OU holds a 30-9 record against Tulsa. The teams last met on Feb. 4 in Norman, where the Sooners earned a 6-1 victory. The Golden Hurricane will make their 15th NCAA Tournament appearance following a runner-up finish at the American Athletic Conference Championship.

STAKER REACHES MILESTONE

Senior Emma Staker made history in the Sooners' regular-season finale, defeating Alabama's Martinez Vaquero 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to become just the second player in program history to reach 100 career singles wins. In the SEC Championship quarterfinals, the Tulsa native clinched the match for Oklahoma with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over LSU's Anita Sahdiieva on Court 4. Staker tied Stefanie Flory (1982) for the program record with 101 career singles wins.

ROAD TESTED

Six of Oklahoma's eight matches against SEC opponents ranked in the ITA top 25 were played on the road, making for one of the toughest schedules in the country during the Sooners' inaugural season in the conference. Oklahoma went 4–4 in those contests.

WHERE THEY RANK

Oklahoma currently sits at No. 6 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 four ranked wins over top-10 opponents.

Additionally, the Sooners have three players in the ITA singles rankings. Leading the pack is No. 30 Julia Garcia Ruiz, followed by No. 35 Alina Shcherbinina and No. 65 Emma Staker.

In doubles, OU is represented by No. 23 Shcherbinina and Garcia Ruiz, followed by No. 52 Salakthip Ounmuang and Roisin Gilheany, No. 62 Garcia Ruiz and Chloé Noël, and No. 66 Shcherbinina and Mester.

FOLLOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

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

MATCHDAY BASICS