Elite! Again! Texas A&M beats UCLA to punch ticket to Waco

The Aggies are elite.

No. 2 seed Texas A&M continued its title defense with a 4-2 win over UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

On a beautiful Friday afternoon at the Mitchell Tennis Center, Mark Weaver’s Aggies won a thriller on their way to their fourth straight Elite Eight, making them the only program in the country to make the last four NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

The Aggies came out swinging in a highly competitive doubles duel, as the Bruins gave them a run for their money early.

Callie Garner, TexAgs

Mary Stoiana’s win secured her an undefeated career in dual match singles play at the Mitchell Tennis Center, concluding her career with a 47-0 record.

Nicole Khirin and Lucciana Perez were the first to clinch on Court 5, winning 6-3, but UCLA immediately tied it up with a win over Daria Smetannikov and Lexington Reed on Court 3, 6-4.

The doubles point would come down to Court 1, where Mary Stoiana and Mia Kupres pulled away late to win 6-3 and clinch the doubles point for the Maroon & White.

Heading into singles with a 1-0 lead, the hosts once again turned to their All-American. In her last appearance at the Mitchell Tennis Center, Stoiana made quick work of her singles opponent, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-2.

“I feel like I was really locked in from the start with it being my last match at home,” Stoiana said. “I wanted to focus on one thing, enjoying it and being super grateful that I had all the opportunities to come out here and compete in front of the 12th Man for the last four years.”

Stoiana’s decorated career in Aggieland will continue as she looks to lead her team to another national championship in Waco next week, but for now, she’s soaking in all the emotions of her last home match.

“For Mary to get us up 2-0 was huge,” Weaver said. “I believe she’s gone undefeated all four years at home, which is truly remarkable considering the level of talent she’s played against. She brings it every single day.”

She finishes her career 47-0 in dual match singles play at the Mitchell Tennis Center.

“It feels so great,” Stoiana said. “I couldn’t have expected or imagined a better way for my collegiate career to go at home. It’s very bittersweet that this is the last time.”

As the match wore on, the Aggies and Bruins traded wins in straight sets on Courts 3 and 6 as Kupres won 6-1, 6-4, and Reed lost 3-6, 3-6.

On Court 4, Perez won a thrilling tiebreaker 7-3 to take the first set 7-6 in comeback fashion. That win would prove to be the difference later in the match.

“The first set was really tough,” Perez said. “I got a couple deuce points to go my way, and that was the key.”

Khirin fought back after a disappointing first set, but ultimately lost in straight sets on Court 2, 2-6, 5-7, as UCLA drew closer with another point.

Now leading 3-2 and needing just one more win to clinch a trip to next weekend, the crowd’s attention turned back to Perez as she imposed her will upon UCLA’s Kate Fakih in the second set.

“Playing at home is an unbelievable atmosphere every time we play here,” Perez remarked. “Having my teammates cheering for me was an incredible moment for me that I will never forget.”

The sophomore from Peru clinched the win in straight sets 7-6, 6-1 to give the Aggies the win 4-2 and book their trip to Waco.

In the process of making their fourth straight trip to the Elite Eight, A&M also clinched their fourth consecutive undefeated season playing at Mitchell Tennis Center.

“Going into the Elite Eight knowing we’ve been able to advance through that round and go all the way is a great feeling,” Stoiana said. “We’re super confident, and it’s right down the road with similar conditions. We know we’ll have a lot of fans coming out to support us.”

A&M’s quarterfinal match will take place on Thursday, May 15, against either No. 7 seed Virginia or No. 10 seed Tennessee.