Tulsa Earns Thrilling 4-3 Comeback Win at SMU

Sunday, March 9

Dallas, Texas

4:00 p.m.

Tulsa

SMU

Photo by: Alina Lebedeva

Tulsa Earns Thrilling 4-3 Comeback Win at SMU

3/9/2025 9:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis

DALLAS, Texas — Winners of four of the last five matches, the Tulsa women's tennis team erased a 3-0 deficit to come back and earn a thrilling 4-3 victory at SMU (8-7) thanks to four singles wins from each of Tulsa's seniors on Sunday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas. The Golden Hurricane improved to 12-4 on the year with the win.

SMU edged Tulsa for the doubles point after dominating the first position 6-1 and escaping with an 11-9 tiebreaker at six games all in the No. 3 court. It was a nearly 90-minute match as the Mustangs went up 1-0 on the Hurricane.

Then in singles play, SMU closed out decisive straight-set wins in the fourth and sixth positions to go up 3-0 on TU, forcing the Hurricane to earn four consecutive singles matches. At that point, Tulsa had a one-set lead in two spots and was knotted up atone set all in the other two spots.

Tulsa started the comeback with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) tiebreaker win in the second position by senior Lily Hutchings, who was closely followed by senior Mariana Manyoma Velasquez's 6-4, 6-3 win over Drew Morris in the three-slot.

Equalizing the dual match at 3-3 was senior Ana Naranjo Martinez, who made brilliant plays in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 three-set comeback win in the fifth line. Clinching the 4-3 victory and capping the comeback was senior Maria Berlanga Bandera, who also came back from down a set to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 atop the lineup. Berlanga improved to 19-5 in singles this school year and 12-3 in spring matches.

The Tulsa women will continue their Texas trip against UT Arlington (March 16), TCU (March 18) and North Texas (March 19) before playing their final home match against UTSA on March 29 for Senior Day.

Singles
1. #76 Maria Berlanga Bandera (TU) def. #124 Sophie Llewellyn (SMU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
2. Lily Hutchings (TU) def. Ellie Pittman (SMU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Mariana Manyoma Velasquez (TU) def. Drew Morris (SMU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Arianna Stavropoulos (SMU) def. Tayla Wilmot (TU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Ana Naranjo Martinez (TU) def. Millie Skelton (SMU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Kayla Schefke (SMU) def. Erin McKenzie (TU) 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
1. #45 Llewellyn/Pittman (SMU) def. #28 Berlanga/Hutchings (TU) 6-1
2. #58 Naranjo/Velasquez (TU) def. Morris/McGinley (SMU) 6-4
3. #64 Schefke/Stavropoulos (SMU) def. Basson/Wilmot (TU) 7-6 (11-9)

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