CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –  Tulsa’s women’s tennis team saw its season come to an end in the round of 16 in the NCAA Championship Thursday as the Golden Hurricane fell 4-3 to Florida State at the Cole-Kenfield Tennis Center.

Tulsa, which was playing in the third round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history held a 3-2 lead in its bid for its first quarterfinal-round appearance, but the Seminoles rallied for three-set wins in the final two singles matches to take the victory.

Florida State won the first two singles matches to build a 2-1 lead after Tulsa opened the match by taking the team point in doubles. The Golden Hurricane quickly reclaimed the lead, however, when Tamara Kupkova and Shura Poppe turned in straight-set wins at No. 3 and No. 6 singles moments apart.

Florida State had threatened to put the match away early as the Seminole players at No. 4 and No. 5 singles won their respective first sets. But Martha Matoula battled back to take her second set, 6-0, at No. 4, and Vera Ploner battled to a 6-4 second set to force a deciding third set. The No. 4 match went the way of the Seminoles to tie the match at 3-3 before Florida State’s Ariana Rahmanparast held off Ploner for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win at No. 5 to end it.

The match was originally scheduled to be played on the campus of Wake Forest, but was moved indoors to North Carolina’s facility due to inclement weather.

Tulsa, which won the American Athletic Conference Championship, finished its season with a 23-6 record.

The NCAA Championship continues at Wake Forest as the national championship teams in both women’s and men’s tennis will be decided May 22. Play then continues with the beginning of the singles championship May 23 and the doubles championship May 24. Wichita State’s Fatima Bizhukova will represent The American in women’s singles, while UCF’s tandem of Ksenia Kuznetsova/Maria Martinez will be the conference’s doubles entry. The conference will be represented in the men’s singles draw by Tulane’s Constantin Schmitz and Memphis’ Ryan Peniston, while Tulsa’s Majed Kilani will serve as an alternate. The American will have two doubles tandems in the 32-team bracket: UCF’s Korey Lovett/Eero Vasa and Tulane’s Constantin Schmitz/Ewan Moore.


NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
American Athletic Conference Pairings

First Round May 11
at Coral Gables, Fla.
UCF 4, FIU 3

at Stillwater, Okla.
Tulsa 4, LSU 2
    
at Oxford, Miss.
Wichita State 4, Syracuse 1


Second Round May 12
at Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami (Fla.) 4, UCF 3

at Stillwater, Okla.
Tulsa 4, Oklahoma State 2
    
at Oxford, Miss.
Ole Miss 4, Wichita State 2


Third Round May 17
at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Florida State 4, Tulsa 3