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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Tizia Brocks
1
Azusa Pacific APU-WT (20-7)
4
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO (23-1)
Azusa Pacific APU-WT
(20-7)
1
Final
4
Central Oklahoma UCO
(23-1)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Chris Brannick

Central Headed Back To National Semis

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Central Oklahoma has reached the national semifinals for the second year in a row following a 4-1 victory over Azusa Pacific Wednesday at Sanlando Park.
 
Central, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, waited around an hour during one delay before winning the doubles point, then took another delay in the middle of singles play before finishing off the Cougars of Azusa, California.
 
"It was really good to see the team play well considering the delays," UCO head tennis coach Joe Vann said. "It can be hard on a player to have to deal with that and our team did a great job staying focused and playing really well."
 
UCO is now 23-1 on the season, a program best, and will advance to the NCAA Division II Tennis Championship semifinals. A day off comes first Wednesday before the Bronchos take on Indianapolis Friday at 4 p.m. (Eastern). No. 1 Barry and No. 4 Nova Southeastern will play in the other semifinal.
 
Central Oklahoma picked up wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in the lineup in doubles play to gain an early advantage.
 
Adel-Byanu Abidullina and Tizia Brocks won 6-4 before Nikki Boyar and Blythe Buntrock won 6-3. Mae Canete and Christine Canete, the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the country playing at the No. 1 position, led 4-3 when their match was abandoned.
 
As the match shifted to singles play, and after a delay, Abidullina was the first to finish again.
 
The No. 31-rated player in the country, she won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3 singles to give Central a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Mae won 6-1, 6-2 in a Top 10 showdown at No. 1 singles to make it 3-0. Mae is ranked No. 3 in the country in the latest ITA Singles Top 75. Her opponent, Eleonora Liga, is ranked No. 6. Mae improved to 54-3 in her two-year singles career at UCO.
 
Azusa Pacific got its lone point of the match with a 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6 singles over Buntrock.
 
But Christine Canete, ranked No. 8 in the country, followed that with a 6-4, 6-4 win over 68th-ranked Madison Kane at No. 2 singles. That point clinched the match putting Central Oklahoma ahead 4-1.
 
UCO now will take a break before preparing for UIndy. The Bronchos faced the Greyhounds in Edmond in February at the 2022 ITA Indoor National Championships. That match was also in the semifinal and Central won 4-3.
 
 
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