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Team
4
Winner Washburn WU (20-4)
1
Central Oklahoma UCO (18-4)
Winner
Washburn WU
(20-4)
4
Final
1
Central Oklahoma UCO
(18-4)

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Chris Brannick

Broncho Season Ends In Second Round Of Regional

UCO Loses 4-1 To Washburn, Ending Stellar 2026 Campaign

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma's season came crashing to an end Saturday morning with a 4-1 setback to Washburn in the second round of the NCAA Central Region I tournament at Edmond Center Court.
 
UCO finishes the 2026 season with an 18-4 record.
 
"We knew this was going to be tough," UCO head women's tennis coach Joe Vann said. "It's hard to beat a team three times in one season. They got the doubles point and were a little out of sorts after that. We had a great run. I just wish it could've gone on for a little while longer."
 
Central Oklahoma beat Washburn in March in Edmond, and last week in Springfield, Missouri in the MIAA Women's Tennis Championship final. UCO was also 31-0 in doubles matches against MIAA teams this season.
 
However, Saturday the fortune turned. Washburn won No. 2 doubles 6-2 and UCO took No. 1 doubles by the same score. It came down to No. 3, where the Ichabods won 6-3 and shocked the Bronchos into a 1-0 deficit.
 
Central was swept in doubles play on March 5 and dropped two out of three on March 12 but had won the doubles in each of the other 19 matches played this season. That includes a run of 12 consecutive sweeps leading up to Saturday's national tournament opener.
 
Central did tie the match with a quick win from Ayaka Koga, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 6 singles. But Washburn got back in front with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Hui Soo at No. 5 singles to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Ichabods made it 3-1 with a win over Anika Ouwejan at No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-2, then clinched the match and a trip to nationals in Arizona with a three-set win at No. 2 singles. Pete Komada won her first set 7-6 (7-4), but lost 6-2 in the second and 6-1 in the decisive third.
 
Mei Hasegawa won her first set 6-3 before falling 6-3 in the second. She led 2-1 in the unfinished third. Karyna Yurchenko lost 6-2 in the first set but forced a third with a 6-4 win. Play had yet to begin there when Washburn clinched the match.
 
Hasegawa and Komada picked up the 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles to finish the year with a 19-2 record. Ouwejan and Koga lost 6-2 at No. 2 doubles and Yurchenko and Soo lost 6-3 at No. 3 doubles.
 
 
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