HOUSTON, Texas — The streak came to an end Saturday, and with it, No. 30 Charlotte Women’s Tennis’ run in the American Conference Championships at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
The 49ers’ pursuit of a first conference title was halted by No. 3 seed and host Rice in a 4-3 thriller, snapping Charlotte’s program- and department-record 17-match winning streak.
Rice struck first in doubles play. Despite taking a 5-4 lead, Charlotte couldn’t close out the doubles point at No. 3, falling 7-6 (4) in a decisive tiebreak. No. 33 Sara Suchankova and Ni Xi secured a 6-3 win on court one, but Shona Nakano and Andrea Chacon dropped a 6-2 decision on court two, giving Rice the early edge.
Nakano responded in singles, earning a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 to level the match at 1-1. Rice regained the lead with a victory at No. 5, but Prisca Abbas answered with a 6-4, 7-5 win on court six to even things again.
Xi then pushed Charlotte in front, rallying past Darya Schwartzman 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 on court one to give the 49ers a 3-2 advantage.
Rice closed the match with back-to-back wins as Francesca Maguina claimed a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory at No. 4 before Divna Ratkovic sealed the result with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Suchankova on court two.
Up Next
Charlotte now awaits its NCAA fate after submitting a 22-4 résumé from the regular season and American postseason. The 49ers’ .846 winning percentage set a program record, marking back-to-back years that they’ve set a new benchmark.
The selection show is set for Monday, April 27, at 5:30 p.m. on the NCAA’s website.