MIDLAND, Texas (April 5, 2025) – The first match this season at the Bush Tennis Center for The University of Texas Permian Basin women's tennis team saw the Falcons tied 2-2 against No. 44 nationally-ranked St. Mary's University before dropping the final three singles matches and falling 5-2 to the Rattlers.

UTPB got off to a good start by winning the doubles point. Paige Bott and Brooke Runyan defeated Gia Posito and Selina Wu 6-2 in the first match at No. 2 doubles, and then in the final doubles match at No. 1 doubles, Fanny Bergstrom and Rhea Singh defeated Janel Ospanova and Stela Sifuentes by a score of 6-4.

In singles, the teams were tied at 2-2 after Runyan fell 6-3, 6-2 against Wu (No. 53 nationally-ranked) at No. 1 singles and Bott defeated Posito 6-0, 6-3 at No. 5 singles. However, Singh fell 6-4, 6-0 against Ospanova at No. 2 singles and Bergstrom lost 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to Paula Garrote at No. 4 singles, giving the win to the Rattlers. Then in the final match at No. 3 singles, Teodora Vrucan fell in a third-set super tiebreaker, 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6), against Alessia Terlizzi. Wu (11-1) and Terlizzi (12-1) both remained undefeated in conference play for the Rattlers at 4-0.
 
Results:
Doubles

• #1 – Fanny Bergstrom/Rhea Singh (UTPB) def. Janel Ospanova/Stela Sifuentes (StMU) 6-4
• #2 – Paige Bott/Brooke Runyan (UTPB) def. Gia Posito/Selina Wu (StMU) 6-2
• #3 – Paula Garrote/Alessia Terlizzi (StMU) def. Tuva Asplund/Teodora Vrucan (UTPB) 6-3

Singles

• #1 – No. 53 Selina Wu (StMU) def. Brooke Runyan (UTPB) 6-3, 6-2
• #2 – Janel Ospanova (StMU) def. Rhea Singh (UTPB) 6-4, 6-0
• #3 – Alessia Terlizzi (StMU) def. Teodora Vrucan (UTPB) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6)
• #4 – Paula Garrote (StMU) def. Fanny Bergstrom (UTPB) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
• #5 – Paige Bott (UTPB) def. Gia Posito (StMU) 6-0, 6-3
• #6 – Stela Sifuentes (StMU) def. Dinethya Dharmaratne (UTPB) 6-2, 6-2

Team Records:

• UTPB falls to 5-4 overall and 1-2 in the Lone Star Conference.
• St. Mary's improves to 11-2 and 3-1 after seeing its six-match winning streak snapped in a 5-2 defeat at No. 19 Lubbock Christian University this past Thursday. StMU's only previous loss was a 6-1 decision at No. 31 Florida Southern College on March 9.
• The Rattlers are 12-0 in the series history with UT Permian Basin.

Next Up: Weather in the Texas Panhandle forced UTPB's match with Lubbock Christian University to be moved from Friday, April 4, to Sunday, April 6. The Falcons will now play in their first LSC road match of the season against the No. 19 nationally-ranked Lady Chaparrals beginning at 12 p.m. in Lubbock, Texas.