Women's Tennis Outlasted in NCAA Second Round

STILLWATER, Okla. – The UCLA women's tennis team had its 2022 dual-match campaign ended at Greenwood Tennis Center, where host and No. 12-seed Oklahoma State pulled out a 4-2 win in the NCAA Championships second round.

The Bruins (13-7) faced a 3-1 deficit, which they would cut in half before extending the match with two forced third sets. Ayumi Miyamoto ultimately clinched the victory. Kimmi Hance and Vanessa Ong collected UCLA's wins. Mananchaya Sawangkaew and Martina Zerulo were also victorious on the singles courts for Oklahoma State (20-5), which will visit fifth-seeded Virginia for the super-regional round of the tournament.

In a matchup of top-90 tandems on Court 2, No. 86 Ava Catanzarite and Abbey Forbes took five of the first six games opposite No. 75 Sawangkaew and Zerulo en route to a 6-3 win. The Cowgirls answered in another faceoff of nationally-ranked pairs, though, as No. 12 Miyamoto and Lisa Marie Rioux captured the final six games for a 6-1 top-court triumph over No. 29 Elysia Bolton and Elise Wagle.

Hance and Sasha Vagramov earned two breaks of serve out of the gate on Court 3 for a 3-0 lead. Dariya Detkovskaya and Oona Orpana seized five of the next six games, however, and a tiebreaker was ultimately forced. There, the Cowgirls posted the final five points to hand Hance/Vagramov its first dual-match loss and record the first point.

No. 122 Hance bounced back in singles play, rolling to a 6-3, 6-2 decision versus Sofia Rojas on Court 4. Hance's 12th consecutive win pulled the Bruins level.

No. 31 Sawangkaew responded on Court 2, prevailing against No. 58 Bolton in a 6-3, 6-1 result. Oklahoma State then moved to within one point of the overall victory when Zerulo topped Vagramov by a 6-3, 6-4 margin on Court 3.

Hance and Vanessa Ong accounted for UCLA's two positive first sets. Ong soon joined Hance in taking the subsequent one, as well, overcoming a 5-2 Alana Wolfberg lead and earning her second win in as many days, 6-2, 7-5 on Court 6.

Needing victories on both remaining courts, Forbes and Wagle forced third sets. Forbes took five of six games against No. 20 Rioux, but her match was left unfinished when the Court 5 contest went final. Miyamoto bested Wagle, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 for the fourth point.

The individual portion of the schedule continues May 23-28 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Illinois. Bolton and Forbes are set to take part in the NCAA Championships singles tournament, while Bolton and Wagle will team up again as part of the doubles draw.

Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Oklahoma State
5/8/2022 at Stillwater, OK
(Greenwood Tennis Center)

#12 Oklahoma State 4, #20 UCLA 2

Singles competition
1. #20 Lisa Marie Rioux (OKST) vs. #25 Abbey Forbes (UCLA) 6-4, 3-6, 1-5, unfinished
2. #31 M. Sawangkaew (OKST) def. #58 Elysia Bolton (UCLA) 6-3, 6-1
3. Martina Zerulo (OKST) def. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4
4. #122 Kimmi Hance (UCLA) def. Sofia Rojas (OKST) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ayumi Miyamoto (OKST) def. Elise Wagle (UCLA) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
6. Vanessa Ong (UCLA) def. Alana Wolfberg (OKST) 6-2, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. #12 Ayumi Miyamoto/Lisa Marie Rioux (OKST) def. #29 Elysia Bolton/Elise Wagle (UCLA) 6-1
2. #86 Ava Catanzarite/Abbey Forbes (UCLA) def. #75 M. Sawangkaew/Martina Zerulo (OKST) 6-3
3. Dariya Detkovskaya/Oona Orpana (OKST) def. Kimmi Hance/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 7-6 (7-2)

Match Notes:
UCLA 13-7; National ranking #20
Oklahoma State 20-5; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,2,3,6,5)
NCAA Championships - Second Round