SAN ANTONIO – UTSA women’s tennis narrowly defeated Tarleton State University 4-3 on Sunday at the UTSA Tennis Center.
The Roadrunners (6-5) battled hard in their victory over the Texans (7-3). Despite holding the point advantage after a doubles sweep, UTSA struggled in singles play, allowing Tarleton State to score two consecutive points to tie the game at three apiece. Sophomore Aoka Nagasawa was the last Roadrunner on the court, scoring a 6-3, 2-6, 6-6 and a tie-breaking 6-2 in her final set to give UTSA the clutch victory. Her poise and dominance down the stretch allowed the Roadrunners to escape the courts with a victory.
“Tarleton is always a really tough opponent,” head coach Ki Kroll said. “A lot of pressure at the end. You almost feel it on the court. Nagasawa just did an amazing job, and we’re excited.”
UTSA coasted to a one-point advantage after going 2-0 in doubles. The pairing of Nagasawa and junior Akari Tomoyose was the first to secure the win, besting their opponent 6-1. Sophomore Valeria Sanchez and freshman Celine Absawi quickly followed behind with an equally dominant 6-2 match win. The Roadrunners finished strong and looked confident heading into their singles matchups.
Sophomore Natalie Castaneda Guerrero got things started for the Roadrunners in her match. Guerrero won both of her sets 6-3, 6-3 to give her team a comfortable 2-0 lead. Tarleton State put its first point on the board after Tomoyose lost in a straight-set defeat. Sanchez, after surrendering her first set 6-3, put together two dominant sets, 6-3, 6-4, to bring UTSA one match point away from victory.
Absawi and freshman Laia Tarazona Peyro both surrendered their matches, bringing the contest to an even 3-3.
Nagasawa, despite losing her second set, looked poised in her third. Her heroics brought UTSA its second-straight victory. The sophomore was dominant down the stretch and shone bright when the moment mattered most.
“We lost a few really tough matches, but in the end, it’s about pulling out the win,” Kroll said. “We haven’t had a lot of 4-3 wins with this young group, so today shows them that everybody can do it. We just have to keep pushing forward.”
The Roadrunners will take on Wichita State University at 1 p.m Friday at the UTSA Tennis Center.
