No. 22 Women's Tennis Primed for Big 12 Championship QuarterfinalsNo. 22 Women's Tennis Primed for Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals

No. 22 Women's Tennis Primed for Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals

by Ava Jessum

WACO, Texas - The No. 22 UCF women’s tennis team is making its way to the Lone Star State this weekend to compete in the Big 12 Championships. The tournament kicked off yesterday and will run until Sunday at the Hurd Tennis Center. The Black and Gold will first see action in a quarterfinals match against either BYU or Kansas State, both opponents UCF faced earlier this season. First serve will commence at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT.

The Knights will be heading into the competition with a confidence boost after making UCF history last Sunday, securing a share of the Big 12 regular season title. It marked the first for any program in UCF Athletics history since the school joined the Big 12 conference in 2023. 

LAST TIME OUT

The Knights secured a 4-1 victory over Utah, claiming the regular-season crown. Despite losing the opening point for the second consecutive match, the Knights quickly regained control. Sophia Biolay and Aya El Aouni swept their opponents on court two, but Utah responded with two contested wins. On court one, Olivia Lincer and Hannah Rylatt fell 6-4, and a tiebreak on court three went Utah's way.

The Knights dominated the singles competition, with Jade Psonka and Hannah Rylatt securing decisive victories on courts five and six. Lincer continued her impressive form, winning in straight sets on court one. Olivia Bergler clinched the match and the Big 12 crown with a 7-5, 6-3 win on court five. 

QUICK HITS

  • UCF is currently slotted in at No. 22 in the ITA rankings. This puts them at fourth among Big 12 teams in the rankings, they sit just under No. 21 Baylor.
  • While the team itself is in the top 25, several key players sit in the  ITA rankings as well. Sophomore Olivia Lincer is featured at No. 98 in singles play, followed closely by senior Sophia Biolay, who is ranked No. 112. UCF has also seen success in doubles with Olivia Lincer and partner Hannah Rylatt rising to No. 44 in the rankings.
  • UCF was initially picked to finish third in preseason polls. The Knights combined strong home performances with several road victories to achieve this impressive milestone.

THE OPPONENTS

BYU

The Black and Gold recently faced No. 67 BYU in an intense match in Provo, Utah. The Knights ultimately emerged victorious 4-3 for the win, though the Cougars possessed strong play on the front three courts, making for an interesting matchup with the Black and Gold.

Kansas State

The Knights faced No. 73 Kansas State in their first Big 12 match of the season, where UCF dominated, going 4-1. Kansas State has gone 10-11 and hopes to find its footing in the Big 12 Championships. Kansas State holds a 6-7 conference record thus far.