Tulsa Women’s Tennis Goes 1-1 to Wrap Up Blue Gray Classic

Saturday, February 24

Montgomery, Ala.

9:00 a.m.

Tulsa

Arizona

Photo by: Campbell Rogerson

Tulsa Women’s Tennis Goes 1-1 to Wrap Up Blue Gray Classic

2/24/2024 8:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Arizona Box Score (PDF)Furman Box Score (PDF)Season Results (PDF)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Tulsa women's tennis team went 1-1 Saturday to wrap up the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic as the Golden Hurricane fell 4-0 to No. 42 Arizona (8-5) before earning a 4-2 comeback win over Furman (2-8). TU snaps a seven-match losing skid to end the weekend 6-7 overall.

Tulsa started the day early with the singles portion of the Arizona match after the Wildcats grabbed the doubles point Friday evening. Arizona's singles lineup proved to be too much to handle as the Wildcats grabbed straight-set victories in the Nos. 3, 4, and 6 positions to clinch the match at 4-0. Junior Maria Berlanga Bandera, fifth-year senior Oleksandra Nahurska and junior Myroslava Zelenchuk left their matches unfinished in the first, second and fifth positions, respectively.

The Hurricane squared up against Furman for the last consolation match of the tournament in the afternoon. Doubles play was all Furman as the Paladins grabbed 6-3 and 6-2 wins in the second and third positions to gain the initial 1-0 advantage. No. 1 Doubles was left unfinished at 5-4 Furman.

The Paladins extended their lead to 2-0 in singles play when Brandelyn Fulgenzi took down Zelenchuk 6-1, 6-1 in the fifth position. At that point, Tulsa turned the tables on Furman, rattling off four straight singles victories to come from behind and clinch the match at 4-2. Three of Tulsa's four wins needed three sets to finish, including Berlanga (2-6, 6-2, 6-1) at No. 1, junior Ana Naranjo Martinez (3-6, 7-5, 6-2) at No. 4 and freshman Erin McKenzie (2-6, 6-3, 6-4) at No. 6. All three-set winners dropped their first sets before picked up wins in the second and third stanzas. Hutchings produced Tulsa's only straight-set win with a 6-4, 7-5 decision at the No. 2 slot.

It was the true freshman McKenzie who clinched and sealed the match at 4-2 with her first collegiate win in the sixth position. She defeated Marissa Pennings to end tournament action for TU, leaving Nahurska unfinished in the No. 2 spot.

Tulsa will return to the Michael D. Case Tennis Center to host UT Arlington (7-3) for a noon matchup on Sunday, March 3.

#42 Arizona 4, Tulsa 0 --

Singles
1. Maria Berlanga Bandera (TLS) vs. Reece Carter (ARIZ) 3-6, 4-3 unfinished
2. Oleksandra Nahurska (TLS) vs. Kayla Wilkins (ARIZ) 6-4, 0-3 unfinished
3. Martyna Ostrzygalo (ARIZ) def. Lily Hutchings (TLS) 6-2, 6-0
4. Teja Tirunelveli (ARIZ) def. Ana Naranjo Martinez (TLS) 6-4, 6-3
5. Brandelyn Fulgenzi (ARIZ) def. Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) 3-6, 3-3 unfinished
6. Tanvi Narendran (ARIZ) def. Saniya Singh (TLS) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles
1. Maria Berlanga Bandera/Lily Hutchings (TLS) vs. Brandelyn Fulgenzi/Reece Carter (ARIZ) 4-5 unfinished
2. Martyna Ostrzygalo/Belen Nevenhoven (ARIZ) def. Saniya Singh/Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) 6-3
3. Kayla Wilkins/Teja Tirunelveli (ARIZ) def. Ana Naranjo Martinez/Tayla Wilmot (TLS) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,6,4)

Tulsa 4, Furman 2 --

Singles
1. Maria Berlanga (TLS) def. Sara Snyder (FUR) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
2. Oleksandra Nahurska (TLS) vs. Maeve Thornton (FUR) 4-6, 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
3. Lily Hutchings (TLS) def. Ellie Schulson (FUR) 6-4, 7-5
4. Ana Naranjo Martinez (TLS) def. Grace Thomas (FUR) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
5. Macy Hitchcock (FUR) def. Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) 6-1, 6-1
6. Erin McKenzie (TLS) def. Marissa Pennings (FUR) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
1. Maria Berlanga/Lily Hutchings (TLS) def. Jess Dawson/Maeve Thornton (FUR) 6-2
2. Ellie Schulson/Macy Hitchcock (FUR) def. Myroslava Zelenchuk/Saniya Singh (TLS) 6-1
3. Sara Snyder/Grace Thomas (FUR) def. Ana Naranjo Martinez/Tayla Wilmot (TLS) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,1,3,4,6)