ODESSA, Texas (March 29, 2025) – The UT Permian Basin women’s tennis team had high hopes going into Saturday’s match against No. 2 Midwestern State University, but despite a strong start, the Falcons were defeated 6-1 by the Mustangs.
Strong Start in Doubles
In doubles, Paige Bott and Brooke Runyan made a statement with a 7-5 win over Jessica Binzari and Anda Ghinga, the No. 13 nationally-ranked pair in NCAA Division II. However, the Mustangs took the remaining doubles matches to go up 2-1.
Bott’s Comeback Victory in Singles
The Falcons’ only point of the day came from Paige Bott, who made a remarkable comeback in her match at No. 5 singles. After losing the first set 3-6, Bott fought back to win 6-2, 6-1, securing the win over Camila Garcia.
Close Battles in Singles
In the final two singles matches, Rhea Singh fought hard against Hannah Yip at No. 2 singles, pushing the match to a tiebreaker in the second set. Unfortunately, Singh lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
At No. 3 singles, Teodora Vrucan played a tough match against Anda Ghinga, pushing to a third-set super tiebreaker. Despite a strong effort, Vrucan fell 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-8).
Comparing This Match to Last Year
In their regular-season match last year, Paige Bott was again the only player to score a point for UTPB, winning in singles. However, this year the Falcons showed significant improvement, especially in doubles, where they were swept last season.
Full Results:
Doubles:
- #1 – Paige Bott/ Brooke Runyan (UTPB) def. Jessica Binzari/ Anda Ghinga (MSU) 7-5
- #2 – Camila Garcia/ Hannah Yip (MSU) def. Tuva Asplund/ Teodora Vrucan (UTPB) 6-1
- #3 – Sydney Williams/ Sarah Mazaraki (MSU) def. Sophia Rashid/ Fanny Bergstrom (UTPB) 6-4
Singles:
- #1 – Jessica Binzari (MSU) def. Brooke Runyan (UTPB) 6-2, 6-4
- #2 – Hannah Yip (MSU) def. Rhea Singh (UTPB) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
- #3 – Anda Ghinga (MSU) def. Teodora Vrucan (UTPB) 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-8)
- #4 – Sofia Giraldo (MSU) def. Fanny Bergstrom (UTPB) 6-2, 6-2
- #5 – Paige Bott (UTPB) def. Camila Garcia (MSU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
- #6 – Sydney Williams (MSU) def. Dinethya Dharmaratne (UTPB) 6-3, 6-4
Team Records:
With the loss, UTPB saw its four-match winning streak end, dropping to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the Lone Star Conference. Meanwhile, No. 2 Midwestern State improved to 14-1 and 3-0 in conference play.
Midwestern State has now won 12 consecutive matches against UTPB and leads the all-time series 13-1.
What’s Next for UTPB?
UTPB will hit the road for its first LSC road match of the season, facing No. 20 Lubbock Christian University on Friday, April 4, at 2 p.m. in Lubbock, Texas.