Texas A&M advances to the Elite Eight with a dominant win over USC
Texas A&M beat No. 13 USC 5–1, earning its fifth straight Elite Eight berth behind strong singles play and late-match comebacks.
There hasn’t been a Texas A&M athletic program in recent memory as consistently dominant as the Aggie women’s tennis team. That dominance continued on Friday, as A&M punched its ticket to the Elite Eight for the fifth straight season, defeating No. 13 seed USC at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
The afternoon didn’t open in the Aggies’ favor. USC struck first, securing the doubles point and grabbing early momentum. But from there, Texas A&M took complete control.
No. 1–ranked Lucciana Perez set the tone, rolling through a pair of 6–1 sets to deliver the Aggies’ first singles point and tie the match. Senior Violeta Martinez followed with a straight‑set win to give A&M its first lead of the day.
Freshman Ilinca Amariei delivered point No. 3 with another two‑set victory, putting the Aggies on the brink of advancing. That set up a dramatic finish on the remaining courts.