WACO, Texas – No. 23 Oklahoma is set for the 2021 Big 12 Women's Tennis Championships beginning Friday. The fourth-seeded Sooners will face No. 5 seed Oklahoma State in a Bedlam quarterfinal set for 3 p.m. CT in Waco.
OU will have a rematch with Oklahoma State, whom the Sooners swept 4-0 on April 2 in Norman to mark the program's first Bedlam win since 2014.
Should the Sooners advance, they will face the winner between top-seeded Texas and Kansas on Saturday at noon in the semifinals.
SOONER STORYLINES
REGULAR SEASON RECAP
• The Sooners completed the regular season at 13-5 overall and 5-3 against the Big 12. OU's .625 win percentage in Big 12 matches is the program's best since 2014.
•OU received its highest ITA team ranking of the season on April 21 when the Sooners checked in at No. 23. The Sooners cracked the ITA top 25 at No. 25 on April 7, marking the first time the team had been ranked in the top 25 since 2014.
• At least three players have been ranked in the ITA singles release since March 30, the most individuals to receive rankings simultaneously since head coach
Audra Cohen's arrival in 2017. Carmen and
Ivana Corley rose to No. 11 nationally in doubles to become the highest-ranked doubles team in program history.
• OU closed out the season on a five-match winning streak, going undefeated during the month of April. The team's signature wins of the season came in one weekend: a 4-0 shutout of No. 41 Oklahoma State on April 2 for the first win over the Cowgirls since 2014, and a 4-1 upset of No. 16 UCF on April 4 for the highest-ranked win under Cohen.
• Of the team's five losses in the regular season, four of those were 4-3 barn burners and three with top-25 teams: against No. 3 Texas in Norman on Jan. 30; at No. 24 Arizona State on Feb. 6; at No. 11 Baylor on March 19; and No. 29 Texas Tech at home on March 28.
WHERE THEY RANK
• OU earned its highest ranking since 2014, clocking in at No. 23 nationally on April 21. The Sooners have climbed up a spot in each of the last two weeks after entering the top 25 on April 7.
• Three individuals and a doubles team are ranked in the most recent ITA release. Since March 30, OU has had a minimum of three players ranked in singles, the most individuals in the rankings since head coach
Audra Cohen's arrival in 2017.
• In doubles, Carmen and
Ivana Corley are No. 23. The duo is 14-2 overall and 5-0 against ranked opponents this season and have been ranked as high as No. 11 (March 30).
• No. 73
Carmen Corley has been a staple at the No. 1 position, where she is 11-6 with three wins over ranked opponents.
• Freshman
Dana Guzman matched her career high ranking this week, returning to No. 80 nationally. Guzman has made a quick impact since her arrival in January, going 17-2 in singles with a 12-1 mark at the No. 2 position.
• No. 97
Ivana Corley is 12-5 on the year with a 10-4 mark on court three.
SOONERS STREAKING
• OU carries a five-match winning streak into the postseason. OU went undefeated during the month of April.
• The Sooners have won seven consecutive doubles points dating back to March 25.
• In singles,
Dana Guzman has won her last seven matches straight, while
Martina Capurro has won her last five.
• Carmen and
Ivana Corley have won their last five doubles matches at the top spot. Guzman and
Kianah Motosono hold a five-match streak on court three.
NO TROUBLE IN DOUBLES
• OU is 16-3 in doubles points this season and only dropped the point once in Big 12 play (at Texas on March 21). The Sooners have won the last seven doubles points consecutively.
• Playing the entire year at No. 1, Carmen and
Ivana Corley have racked up a 14-2 overall record with an impressive 5-0 mark against ranked opponents. The duo went 6-1 against the Big 12 conference.
•
Camila Romero and
Martina Capurro are 6-3 on the year at the No. 2 line and went 4-1 against the Big 12. The senior duo is 47-10 as a pair from the fall of 2018 to present for a .825 win percentage.
•
Dana Guzman and
Kianah Motosono have compiled a 9-1 record at the No. 3 line this season with a 5-1 mark against Big 12 opponents. The pair has clinched five doubles points for the Sooners and has given up three matches or fewer in eight of their wins.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Live streams and stats will be available for all matches of the tournament. More information on the championships can be found on the tournament hub.