HOUSTON — No. 10 seed UTSA saw its season come to an end in the first round of the American Conference Championship with a 4-1 setback at the hands of No. 7 seed Tulane on Thursday afternoon at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
UTSA grabbed an early lead after winning the doubles point in dramatic fashion in a tiebreaker on court three.
Tulane’s Cambell Ricci and Summer Chandler downed UTSA’s duo of Natalia Castaneda Guerrero and Valeria Sanchez at No. 1 doubles. However, Celine Absawi and Giuliana Giardina teamed up for a 6-4 triumph over Leigh Van Zyl and Natalia Fantini on the second court, sending all eyes to the matchup at No. 3.
On court three, Aoka Nagasawa and Akari Tomoyose built a slim 4-3 lead for the Roadrunners, only to see Micah Pierce and Natalia Perez battle back for a 6-5 advantage. The UTSA tandem secured the next game to knot the score at 6-6 and force the tiebreak, which they claimed by a 7-3 margin to lock up the 1-0 lead for the Roadrunners.
Following a brief rain delay early during the first set of singles play, the Green Wave evened the score with a victory at the top of the lineup, a 6-1, 6-2 decision by Ricci over Absawi.
Tulane then took a 2-1 edge when Chandler posted a 6-3, 6-4 win against Sanchez at No. 2.
The Green Wave pulled to within one point of clinching following a 7-6, 6-1 triumph by Van Zyl on court three.
Tulane ended things with a 6-4, 6-2 win by Perez at No. 4 to notch its second victory against UTSA this season.
Giardina and Laia Tarazona Peyro both had split the first two sets of their singles matches when the contest was called.
The Roadrunners finished the campaign with a 9-11 record, while the Green Wave improved to 11-11 and earned a spot in the quarterfinal round of the league’s annual postseason tournament.
Tulane 4, UTSA 1
American Conference Championship – First Round
4/16/2026 at Houston, Texas (George R. Brown Tennis Center)
Singles
1. Campbell Ricci (TLN) def. Celine Absawi (UTSA) 6-1, 6-2
2. Summer Chandler (TLN) def. Valeria Sanchez (UTSA) 6-3, 6-4
3. Leigh Van Zyl (TLN) def. Akari Tomoyose (UTSA) 7-6, 6-1
4. Natalia Perez (TLN) def. Natalia Castaneda Guerrero (UTSA) 6-4, 6-2
5. Micah Pierce (TLN) vs. Giuliana Giardina (UTSA) 6-4, 3-6, 3-1, unfinished
6. Natalia Fantini (TLN) vs. Laia Tarazona Peyro (UTSA) 5-7, 6-4, 2-1, unfinished
Doubles
1. #63 Summer Chandler/Campbell Ricci (TLN) def. Natalia Castaneda Guerrero/Valeria Sanchez (UTSA) 6-2
2. Celine Absawi/Giuliana Giardina (UTSA) def. Natalia Fantini/Leigh Van Zyl (TLN) 6-4
3. Aoka Nagasawa/Akari Tomoyose (UTSA) def. Natalia Perez/Micah Pierce (TLN) 7-6
Records: Tulane 11-11, UTSA 9-11
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,2,3,4)
-UTSA-