NORMAN, Okla. – One of the hottest teams in all of collegiate tennis right now, the No. 17 Sun Devils stared down No. 2 Oklahoma at their home facility in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and just missed on a historic upset.
The Sun Devils were ultimately edged by the Sooners, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at the Headington Family Tennis Center, thus eliminating them from the NCAA Tournament and closing the chapter on a remarkable spring season.
The Sun Devils end the 2022 campaign as winners of nine of their previous 11 contests after advancing to the Round of 32 in their third straight tournament appearance.
The afternoon began with promise and ended in heartache.
The Sun Devils jumped the Sooners in doubles play, securing the lone point with wins by Gallagher/Morlet (6-3) and Jankowski/Argyrokastriti (6-4).
A Sooner lineup that teems with depth soon rebounded in singles play, besting the Sun Devils in the first set in four of six matches. The top half of the Oklahoma lineup were all ranked inside the ITA's singles polls (No. 10 Sleeth, No. 53 C. Corley, No. 97 I. Corley).
Cali Jankowski, the cool, calm and collected senior with a team-high 17 individual wins entering play, would double the Sun Devil lead with her victory on Court 4 (6-3, 6-3) over Dana Guzman.
What was a 2-0 Sun Devil lead quickly developed into a 3-2 Oklahoma advantage, as the Sooners stacked on wins on Courts 2, 3 and 6 within a matter of 10 minutes.
Freshman Patricija Spaka evened the match at 3-3 moments later, with her triumph over Alexandra Pisareva (6-4, 7-6) on Court 5.
With one match to be played, the attention shifted to Court 1, where No. 79 Giulia Morlet battled No. 10 Layne Sleeth. After dropping the first set, 6-4, Morlet fell behind in the second set before falling, 6-4.
It's just the sixth time that the 29-2 Sooners have allowed an opponent to score three or more points in a match this season.
SINGLES
1. #10 Layne Sleeth (OKLAHOMA) def. #79 Morlet,Giulia (ASU) 6-4, 6-3
2. #53 Carmen Corley (OKLAHOMA) def. #102 Turkovic,Domenika (ASU) 6-3, 7-5
3. #97 Ivana Corley (OKLAHOMA) def. Sedona Gallagher (ASU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
4. Jankowski,Cali (ASU) def. Dana Guzman (OKLAHOMA) 6-3, 6-3
5. Patricija Spaka (ASU) def. Alexandra Pisareva (OKLAHOMA) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Emma Staker (OKLAHOMA) def. Argyrokastriti,M (ASU) 6-4, 6-2
DOUBLES
1. #10 Carmen Corley/Ivana Corley (OKLAHOMA) vs. #28 Patricija Spaka/Turkovic,Domenika (ASU) 6-5, unfinished
2. Morlet,Giulia/Sedona Gallagher (ASU) def. Alexandra Pisareva/Layne Sleeth (OKLAHOMA) 6-3
3. Jankowski,Cali/Argyrokastriti,M (ASU) def. Dana Guzman/Emma Staker (OKLAHOMA) 6-4
UP NEXT
Though the team portion of the Sun Devils' 2022 season has come to a close, the attention will now shift to the NCAA Doubles Championships, where No. 28 Turkovic/Spaka will compete. Play is set to begin May 23 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champagne, Illinois, following the conclusion of the team championships.