SMU W-Tennis: NCAA Run Ends In The Round Of 16

STANFORD, Calif. (SMU) — The No. 32 SMU Women’s Tennis team’s NCAA Tournament run ended in the round of 16 at the Taube Tennis Center on Friday. SMU fell 4-0 to the No. 7 ranked and NCAA No. 5 seed Baylor Bears; concluding SMU’s best NCAA Tournament finish in 23 years. SMU finished the season 23-6.

“Baylor was too good today, but I am proud of our team for taking this huge step,” said head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner. “I am excited about the future of SMU Tennis.”

The Mustangs 23-6 record marks its third straight 20-win season and school-record third straight NCAA appearance. SMU is 4-3 in the NCAA the last three seasons, advancing to at least the second round each time. This was the first NCAA Sweet 16 for SMU since 1988 when the Mustangs received a bye to the round of 16. SMU will most likely finish the season in the top-30 of the ITA rankings for the third straight season; marking the first time for the program to do that since the end of the 1989 campaign.

The match against Baylor started with the Bears claiming the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. In singles, SMU lost first-set tiebreakers by No. 9 Marta Lesniak and Edyta Cieplucha. Shahzoda Hatamova won her first set for SMU at No. 5 singles. Those matches were all abandoned as Baylor scored straight-set victories at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 singles to seal the match.

Lesniak will represent SMU in the NCAA singles championship at Stanford beginning Wednesday, May 25.

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