Sunday sweep of #18 Oklahoma sends #13 A&M to super regionals
Feeling super.
For the fifth straight year, #13 Texas A&M is headed to super regionals after sweeping #18 Oklahoma, 4-0, on Sunday at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
After sweeping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday, the Aggies maintained momentum as they faced their future conference foe.
Early on, it appeared the Aggies would cruise to securing the doubles point.
The pairing of Nicole Khirin and Jeanette Mireles made quick work of their 6-2 win on Court #6. On Court #3, Carson Branstine and Lucciana Perez led the No. 32 pairing of Zdena Safarova and Julia Garcia Ruiz, 5-2.
However, the Sooners managed to win the next three points, eventually sending it to a tiebreak.
That match never ended as No. 7 Mary Stoiana and Mia Kupres, who once trailed No. 26 Roisin Gilheany and Dana Guzman, 3-1, battled back to win 7-5 and clinch the doubles point for the host side.
“I feel like we could have closed out the doubles a little earlier before it got too interesting there at the end,” A&M head coach Mark Weaver said. “The doubles could have gone either way as it played out there, and once we got that point under our belt, you could kind of see the confidence growing on our side.
“When we get the doubles point, it just kind of puts the pressure on the other opponent and if you look at our lineup, there’s really nowhere to hide.”
In singles play, Branstine defeated Garcia Ruiz, ranked No. 37, 6-2 and 6-1 for a straight-set victory. Shortly after, Kupres knocked off No. 66 Florencia Urrutia to put A&M within one win away from advancing to the Sweet 16.
“We talked after the doubles point was over about really setting the tone early in singles play,” Weaver said. “For the most part, across the board, we got some commanding leads in the beginning of the first sets on all the singles courts.”
The last time the Aggies and Sooners met was in the Elite Eight in 2022. Oklahoma would win that match, 4-3, as Emma Staker defeated Mireles in three sets on Court #6 to clinch the final point.
On Sunday, Mireles once again faced a Sooner on the sixth court, but this time it ended in her favor.
“I remember my freshman year I was absolutely terrified, and I was almost scared to hit the ball,” Mireles reflected on her last match against OU. “Today, I was a little nervous, but it’s like one step at a time.”
Mireles defeated Chloe Noel in straight sets to clinch the final point the Aggies needed to advance, getting some revenge on her part.
“I was so excited because we have our two seniors and we’re all here doing it for them,” Mireles said of her reaction to celebrating with the team.
With the win, the Maroon & White will travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to face the No. 2-seed Tar Heels.
“They have an excellent team,” Weaver said. “They’re the defending national champions, but we have confidence in ourselves. We’re gonna keep the focus on us, and if we’re playing our type of tennis, I feel good about our chances.”
