Third-Seeded Women's Tennis Falls in ITA Indoors Opener

Friday, February 7

Urbana, Ill.

10:00 AM

UCLA

Oklahoma

Kimmi Hance (right) greets Elise Wagle (Photo: Illinois Athletics)

Third-Seeded Women's Tennis Falls in ITA Indoors Opener

February 07, 2025 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Results (PDF)

URBANA, Ill. – The third-seeded UCLA women's tennis team dropped a 4-2 decision to No. 12 seed Oklahoma in ITA National Team Indoor Championships play Friday afternoon at Atkins Tennis Center.

The Bruins (3-1) came out of doubles play on top, but managed to collect just one singles first set. Elise Wagle picked up that set and finished with a two-win day, momentarily pulling UCLA level at 2-2. The Sooners advanced to Saturday's quarterfinal round thanks to singles victories by Julia Garcia Ruiz, Alina Shcherbinina, Gloriana Nahum and clincher Ava Catanzarite.

The Bruins move to consolation play with their loss and meet No. 7 seed LSU (5-1) Saturday at 7 a.m. PT. The Tigers were defeated 4-0 by second-seeded Michigan Friday.

The newly-elevated No. 3-ranked doubles pair of Bruins Olivia Center and Kate Fakih justified its standing, breaking the serve of No. 58 Garcia Ruiz/Chloé Noël for 3-2 and never looking back en route to a 6-2 victory on Court 2. The win made it 12 against nationally-ranked tandems for Center/Fakih on the season.

OU answered on Court 3, where Nahum and Salakthip Ounmuang dug themselves out of an 0-2 hole to beat No. 30 Ahmani Guichard/Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer 6-3. That turned all eyes toward Court 1 and the top-50 matchup between No. 9 Wagle/Kimmi Hance and No. 47 Shcherbinina/Cara Mester. Hance and Wagle were unable to cash in multiple match points, but eventually took control of the deciding tiebreaker. The final four points and clinching 7-6(3) victory were seized by UCLA's all-senior duo.

Three first sets finished 6-4 and a fourth by tiebreaker, with the Sooners taking all of them. The 13th-ranked Garcia Ruiz tied the score with her 6-2, 6-2 win versus Hance on Court 1. Next to prevail was No. 43 Shcherbinina, who handed No. 17 Lutkemeyer her first singles loss of dual-match play in a 6-4, 6-2 result.

Reigning Big Ten Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week Wagle, ranked 53rd, continued her strong play. She tied the score again with a 6-3, 6-3 showing opposite No. 103 Ounmuang on Court 3.

No. 114 Nahum outlasted Guichard 6-4, 6-4 on Court 5 and No. 91 Catanzarite delivered the winning point by beating Center 7-6(5), 6-1 on Court 6.

Tennis Match Results
Oklahoma vs UCLA
2/7/2025 at Urbana, IL
(Atkins Tennis Center)
#12 Oklahoma 4, #6 UCLA 2

Singles competition
1. #13 Julia Garcia Ruiz (OU) def. Kimmi Hance (UCLA) 6-2, 6-2
2. #43 Alina Shcherbinina (OU) def. #17 Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
3. #53 Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. #103 Salakthip Ounmuang (OU) 6-3, 6-3
4. #56 Kate Fakih (UCLA) vs. Emma Staker (OU) 4-6, 6-6 (4-1), unfinished
5. #114 Gloriana Nahum (OU) def. Ahmani Guichard (UCLA) 6-4, 6-4
6. #91 Ava Catanzarite (OU) def. Olivia Center (UCLA) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1

Doubles competition
1. #9 Kimmi Hance/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. #47 Cara Mester/Alina Shcherbinina (OU) 7-6 (7-3)
2. #3 Olivia Center/Kate Fakih (UCLA) def. #58 Julia Garcia Ruiz/Chloe Noel (OU) 6-2
3. Gloriana Nahum/Salakthip Ounmuang (OU) def. #30 Ahmani Guichard/Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) 6-3

Match Notes:
Oklahoma 6-0; National ranking #12
UCLA 3-1; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,2,3,5,6)
ITA National Team Indoor Championships - First Round