May 04, 2019
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas A&M sophomore Tatiana Makarova swept the final five games to win a third-set last-match standing to send the Aggies thru to the NCAA Tournament second round with a 4-3 victory over Rice at the Texas Tennis Center Saturday. After the Aggies fell behind 3-1, A&M picked up wins from Lucia Quiterio and Riley McQuaid before Makarova punched the ticket to the second round.
Makarova defeated Anastasia Smirnova 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5 to record the final point of the day, her second last-match standing victory of the season. The sophomore recorded her 15th win of the spring and 21st overall this year.
McQuaid jumpstarted the comeback for the Maroon & White bringing the Aggies within 3-2 after defeating Anna Bowtell 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-1 on court five. McQuaid picked up her team-leading 18th dual win and her 50th collegiate victory.
Quiterio evened the match at three-all after defeating Diae El Jardi 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on court six. Quiterio won her sixth straight match to record her 16th win this spring.
The Aggies opened the match by earning the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. Quiterio and McQuaid won 6-2 on court three over Victoria Smirnova and Bowtell followed by No. 33 Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith defeated No. 61 Michaela Haet and Linda Huang 6-3 on court one.
With the win, A&M now holds a 28-10 lead in the all-time series against the Owls and advance to take on the winner of host and No. 9 seed Texas (18-4) and Long Island (14-7) in second-round action at noon on Sunday, May 5.