Tulsa Dominates Rice in 4-0 Home Shutout

Friday, February 21

Tulsa, Okla.

5:00 p.m.

Tulsa

Rice

Photo by: Alina Lebedeva

Tulsa Dominates Rice in 4-0 Home Shutout

2/21/2025 8:31:00 PM | Women's Tennis

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa women's tennis team enjoyed a statement win Friday night over the Rice Owls in a dominant 4-0 shutout in the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. It was an early American Athletic Conference test for the Golden Hurricane who improved to 9-3 overall and 8-1 at home while dropping the Owls to 5-4 on the year.

The doubles point would prove to be a crucial score Friday. Rice started with a one-court lead after capturing the third position in a 6-0 sweep. Tulsa fought back with a 6-1 rout at No. 2 by seniors Ana Naranjo Martinez and Mariana Manyoma Velasquez.

Senior duo Maria Berlanga Bandera and Lily Hutchings, ranked 46^th in the nation, upset No. 33 Darya Schwartzman and Fernanda Martinez atop the lineup with a nailbiter 7-6 (7-5) tiebreaker win, securing the opening advantage for the Hurricane. The TU pair improved to 14-3 overall and 8-2 in dual matches.

All three of Tulsa's singles winners got the job done in straight sets. No. 99 Berlanga kicked things off with back-to-back 6-1 set wins at the top position and saw her teammate Hutchings close out consecutive 6-3 set winners to put TU up 3-0.

Clinching and ending the night's action was sophomore Saniya Singh, who cut down Saara Orav 6-4, 6-3 at the 6-spot. Singh rose to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in spring action.

The remaining Tulsa players were all down a set in the second, fourth and fifth courts before abandoning their matches upon Singh's clinch.

The Tulsa women will be back on ESPN+ this Monday, Feb. 24, when they host No. 62 Arkansas in a 2 p.m. dual match.

Singles
1. #99 Maria Berlanga Bandera (TU) def. Darya Schwartzman (RU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Mariana Manyoma Velasquez (TU) vs. Divna Ratkovic (RU) 4-6, 3-4, unfinished
3. Lily Hutchings (TU) def. Allison Zipoli (RU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Tayla Wilmot (TU) vs. Francesca Maguina (RU) 3-6, 6-6 (2-3), unfinished
5. Ana Naranjo Martinez (TU) vs. Fernanda Martinez (RU) 6-7 (6-8), 4-3, unfinished
6. Saniya Singh (TU) def. Saara Orav (RU) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles
1. #46 Berlanga/Hutchings (TU) def. #33 Schwartzman/Martinez (RU) 7-6 (7-5)
2. Naranjo/Velasquez (TU) def. Ratkovic/Selvaraj (RU) 6-1
3. Orav/Maguina (RU) def. Basson/Wilmot (TU) 6-0

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