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Oklahoma tennis: Sooner women advance to second straight NCAA Sweet 16

By Chip Rouse

Heritage Hall's Tokara Henderson high fives partnerJasmine Crain during the 5A No. 1 doubles match against Piedmont during the high school state girls tennis tournament at the OKC Tennis Center in Oklahoma City, Friday, May, 5, 2023.
Heritage Hall's Tokara Henderson high fives partnerJasmine Crain during the 5A No. 1 doubles match against Piedmont during the high school state girls tennis tournament at the OKC Tennis Center in Oklahoma City, Friday, May, 5, 2023. /
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Add women’s Oklahoma tennis to the list of Sooner programs making it into postseason play in the spring season.

The OU women not only are making their fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, but for the second consecutive year they have advanced out of the NCAA Regional round and into the round of 16.

The 13th-ranked Sooners defeated (actually dominated) No. 21 Washington 4-1 to win the Norman Regional and now advance to the super-regional round, where OU will face No, 3 Georgia in Athens, Georgia on Friday.

Oklahoma disposed of Hawaii 4-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Norman Regional before taking on the Lady Huskies of Washington in the regional championship match.

The Sooners got off to a fast start, earning the doubles point with OU’s Layne Sleeth and Alexandra Pisareva winning their match 6-1, and the doubles pair of Julia Garcia Ruiz and Dana Guzman capturing a 6-4 decision in their match. OU was also leading 6-5 in the third doubles competition with Carmen and Ivana Corley of OU, but the doubles point had already been clinched before that match was completed.

Garcia Ruiz got the ball rolling for the Sooners in the singles matches, defeating Erica Matsuda of Washington in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. Pisareva fell in her match in the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-3, evening the singles competition at a point apiece, but that ended up being the only point Washington would to earn on the day.

OU’s Guzman and Sleeth both won their singles matches, giving Oklahoma the four points in needed to capture the overall win and advance to see another day.

The Sooner women are 22-9 for the season, 8-1 in Big 12 competition and finished the year with a perfect 18-0 record at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

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