Staker Breaks Record, Sooners Advance to NCAA Second Round

Friday, May 2

Norman, Okla.

2 PM

University of Oklahoma

Denver

Staker Breaks Record, Sooners Advance to NCAA Second Round

May 02, 2025 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN – Senior Emma Staker broke the program record for career singles wins as the sixth-seeded Oklahoma women's tennis team opened NCAA Championship play with a 4-0 sweep of Denver on Friday at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

With the win, the Sooners set up a Bedlam matchup in the second round, where they will face No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT for a spot in the super regionals.

The victory marked Oklahoma's 15th all-time NCAA tournament win. The Sooners (20-6, 11-4 SEC) also advanced to the second round for the fourth straight season.

Oklahoma got off to a fast start, claiming its 15th doubles point of the year in just 29 minutes to open the match.

Kicking things off, Ava Catanzarite and Gloriana Nahum posted a 6-3 win at court three over Denver's Hana Becirovic Novak and Natalie Cinkova. Follwing closely behind, the No. 23 duo of Alina Shcherbinina and Julia Garcia Ruiz clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win on court one over Andrea Beltran and Marley Lambert.

Extending her winning streak to four matches, Salakthip Ounmuang sparked the Sooners' singles rally with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over Claudia Martinez on court three. The Bangkok, Thailand, native enters her first NCAA tournament fresh off receiving SEC All-Freshman honors.

Nahum followed with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Cinkova on Court 6. Along with Ounmuang, the pair has proven to be among the best freshmen in the SEC this season.

No. 65 Emma Staker clinched the match for Oklahoma with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Lambert on court four, setting a new program record for career singles wins. The Tulsa native surpassed Stefanie Flory (1982) to take sole possession of the record with 102 career victories.

When play was halted, No. 33 Shcherbinina, No. 30 Garcia Ruiz and Ava Catanzarite were all closing in on straight-set wins.

The Sooners will face the Cowgirls in the NCAA regional final on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Headington Family Tennis Center. Cracked Racquets will provide live CrossCourt Cast coverage on YouTube, with individual court streams available via PlaySight.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 800-456-GoOU. The first 200 Oklahoma fans will receive free admission, and University of Oklahoma students get in free with a valid student ID.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as the 2025 national champion OU women's gymnastics team will be signing autographs from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. in front of the outdoor entrance to the Headington Family Tennis Center.

FOLLOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

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

RESULTS

#6 Oklahoma 4, Denver 0

Singles competition

1. #33 Alina Shcherbinina (OU) vs. Andrea Beltran (DENW) 6-2, 2-2, unfinished
2. #30 Julia Garcia Ruiz (OU) vs. Louise Wikander (DENW) 6-1, 3-4, unfinished
3. Salakthip Ounmuang (OU) def. Claudia Martinez (DENW) 6-0, 6-1
4. #65 Emma Staker (OU) def. Marley Lambert (DENW) 6-3, 6-1
5. Ava Catanzarite (OU) vs. Hana Becirovic Novak (DENW) 6-4, 5-0, unfinished
6. Gloriana Nahum (OU) def. Natalie Cinkova (DENW) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. #23 Julia Garcia Ruiz/Alina Shcherbinina (OU) def. Andrea Beltran/Marley Lambert (DENW) 6-2
2. Chloe Noel/Salakthip Ounmuang (OU) vs. Louise Wikander/Claudia Martinez (DENW) 3-4, unfinished
3. Ava Catanzarite/Gloriana Nahum (OU) def. Hana Becirovic Novak/Natalie Cinkova (DENW) 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,6,4)