Sooner Magic Delivers OU Big 12 Championship

²Oklahoma

¹²Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. — The No. 2 Oklahoma women's tennis team used a late comeback to knock off No. 12 Oklahoma State on the road, 4-3, and claim the program's first outright Big 12 Conference regular-season championship Friday night.

Sooner junior Layne Sleeth faced a 4-1 third-set deficit in the final match of the night but won six of the next seven games to prevail 7-5 and deliver the title for Oklahoma (23-1, 8-0). It also marked the program's first-ever perfect regular-season in conference play. The Sooners claimed a share of the conference title on Sunday with a 7-0 win over West Virginia, but needed a win Friday to claim the outright title over OSU and No. 4 Texas.

Bedlam kicked off in doubles, where OU's No.5 pair of Ivana and Carmen Corley took down No.12 Ayumi Miyamoto and Lisa Marie Rioux 6-2 at the top court. Sleeth and Alexandra Pisareva defeated Mhai Sawangkaew and Dariya Detkovskaya 6-2 on court two to clinch the opening point for the Sooners.

Singles play got started with intense back-and-forth action. The first singles court victory came from Pisareva at the No. 5 spot over OSU's Sofia Rojas in a dominant 6-1, 6-1 fashion. The Cowgirls clamed the next three singles wins. The first came from Oona Orpana on court four, defeating No. 104 Dana Guzman 6-0, 6-4. The match tied at two after a court six win from Ayumi Miyamoto over OU's Emma Staker, 6-3, 6-2. OSU then took a 3-2 lead with a victory from No. 51 Mhai Sawangkaew over No. 47 Carmen Corley, 6-1, 7-5, on court two.

The Sooners tied the match at 3-3 when freshman Anchisa Chanta fought hard for the 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) victory on court three against Martina Zerulo.

With the Big 12 outright title on the line, No. 14 Sleeth forced a third set and came back from a 1-6, 7-5, 1-4 deficit to defeat No. 27 Rioux, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5.

The Sooners, who are winners of 12 straight and haven't dropped a match since the ITA Indoor National Championship, finished the regular season a perfect 7-0 on the road.

UP NEXT

The Sooners return to Norman to face No. 5 Pepperdine on Sunday at noon to close out the regular season. The second-ranked Sooners will then play in the Big 12 Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, April 21-24.

RESULTS

#2 Oklahoma 4, #12 Oklahoma State 3

Singles
1. #14 Layne Sleeth (OU) def. #27 Lisa Marie Rioux (OSU) 1-6, 7-5, 7-5
2. #51 Mhai Sawangkaew (OSU) def. #47 Carmen Corley (OU) 6-1, 7-5
3. Anchisa Chanta (OU) def. Martina Zerulo (OU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2)
4. Oona Orpana (OSU) def. #104 Dana Guzman (OU) 6-0, 6-4
5. Alexandra Pisareva (OU) def. Sofia Rojas (OSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) def. Emma Staker (OU) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles
1. #6 Ivana Corley/Carmen Corley (OU) def. #14 Lisa Marie Rioux/Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) 6-2
2. Layne Sleeth/Alexandra Pisareva (OU) def. Mhai Sawangkaew/Dariya Detkovskaya (OSU) 6-2
3. Anchisa Chanta/Dana Guzman (OU) def. Oona Orpana/Martina Zerulo (OSU) 4-2, unfinished

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,4,6,2,3,1)