Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Arizona State
Tech overcomes deficit to beat No. 11 Arizona State
April 16, 2026 | Women's Tennis
ORLANDO, Fla. – Down 2-3 to the No. 11 team in the country, the Lady Raiders had to win out in their remaining two singles matches to win the contest… And they did just that. No. 31-ranked and 10-seeded Texas Tech earned a 4-3, come-from-behind victory over the 2-seeded Sun Devils on Thursday evening at the USTA National Campus to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. With this win, Texas Tech became the highest seed to ever make the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
Texas Tech (18-9) won what was an important point in the match after taking doubles against Arizona State (19-5). At court two, Elena Daskalova and Mariia Hlahola defeated Sara Svetac and Aiya Nupbay, 6-4, to get the first win of the day. Over at court three, Ella Brownback and Polina Sleptsova went back and forth against Sarang Lim and Zlata Bartanusz. After tying 5-5, the Lady Raider duo won the next two games for the 7-5 win to clinch the doubles point.
Arizona State, who won a share of the Big 12 regular-season title, came out hot in singles, winning five of six first sets. The Sun Devils got their first point of the match when Lily Taylor beat Daskalova at court three, 6-1, 6-2. Arizona State picked up another point at court four after Nupbay took down Hlahola, 6-2, 6-3.
Texas Tech had a tall task ahead as it had to win three of the last four singles matches to claim the victory. Over at court two, Dmitrichenko was locked in a battle with Vivian Ovrootsky, who was 18-0 in dual singles matches heading into today. Dmitrichenko handed Ovrootsky her first loss of the spring season with a 6-4, 6-4 win to tie the match at 2-all. The Sun Devils took a 3-2 lead as Lim defeated Brownback at court six by a 6-4, 6-2 score.
It all came down to courts one and five. At the top court, Murphy was taking on Svetac, dropping her first set by a 2-6 score. Svetac took a 4-2 lead, but Murphy fought back to win five of the next six game for the 7-5 win. Murphy dominated the third set as she won it, 6-2, to tie the match at 3-all.
Over at court five, Havana Kadi took a 4-1 lead over Bartanusz in set one, but the Sun Devil fought back to win it by a 7-5 score. Kadi and Bartanusz went back-and-forth in the second set, until Kadi took a 5-3 lead. Bartanusz would win one more game, but the Lady Raider pulled through to force a third set at 6-4. In the third and final set, Kadi went down 0-1, then rattled off the next six games to clinch the win over No. 11 Arizona State, 4-3.
Up next, the Lady Raiders play in the semifinals against No. 23 TCU on Friday at 5 p.m. CT.
RESULTS
#31 Texas Tech 4, #11 Arizona State 3
Singles
1. Hailey Murphy (TTU) def. Sara Svetac (ASU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
2. Yekaterina Dmitrichenko (TTU) def. Vivian Ovrootsky (ASU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Lily Taylor (ASU) def. Elena Daskalova (TTU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Aiya Nupbay (ASU) def. Mariia Hlahola (TTU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Havana Kadi (TTU) def. Zlata Bartanusz (ASU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
6. Sarang Lim (ASU) def. Ella Brownback (TTU) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
1. Lily Taylor/Vivian Ovrootsky (ASU) vs. #83 Yekaterina Dmitrichenko/Hailey Murphy (TTU) 6-5, unfinished
2. Elena Daskalova/Mariia Hlahola (TTU) def. Sara Svetac/Aiya Nupbay (ASU) 6-4
3. Ella Brownback/Polina Sleptsova (TTU) def. Sarang Lim/Zlata Bartanusz (ASU) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 3); Singles (3, 4, 6, 2, 1, 5)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,4,2,6,1,5
Players Mentioned
