ROME, Ga. (4/25/25) – Arkansas State battled hard and forced three third sets in singles play, but ultimately dropped a 4-0 decision to top-seeded and 46th-ranked Old Dominion Friday in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Rome Tennis Center.
The ninth-seeded Red Wolves end their season at 13-11 overall, the most wins since a 13-win 2008 campaign.
ODU (17-4) seized early momentum in the doubles point, with Lidiia Raskouskaia and Ulyana Romanova winning 6-0 against Lilly Cvanciger and Abigail Thurmer on Court 2, but the Red Wolves continued to fight.
Down 5-3 with the Monarch pair of Sofia Johnson and Victoria Matasova serving to clinch the point, Anna Grigoreva and Carla Muro Castellvi held on a deciding point to make it 5-4, but ODU ultimately clinched the doubles point as Johnson and Matasova held serve to win the match on Court 1.
When the point was clinched Sarah Millard and Hanmare McAslin trailed 5-4 on Court 3 against Marina Markina and Kira Matushkina.
The Monarchs took a 2-0 lead when Matasova topped Millard 6-2, 6-1 on Court 5, and then made it 3-0 with the 24th-ranked Johnson winning 6-0, 6-1 against A-State's Grigoreva over on Court 1.
ODU later clinched the match with a win on Court 6, as Markina won a 7-5, 6-1 outcome against Ariadna Fernandez to send the Monarchs to the semifinals.
After dropping first sets on Courts 3 and 4, both Muro Castellvi and McAslin managed to win their second sets 7-5 and extend their matches. Lilly Cvanciger held a one-set lead on Court 2 against Matushkina before the Monarch rallied to extend the match with a second-set tiebreak victory prior to the match clincher.
(9) A-STATE 0 – (1) #46 OLD DOMINION 4
April 25, 2025 – Rome, Ga. – Sun Belt Conference Championship Quarterfinals
DOUBLES
#1 – Sofia Johnson/Victoria Matasova def. Anna Grigoreva/Carla Muro Castellvi 6-4
#2 – Lidiia Rasskouskaia/Ulyana Romanova def. Lilly Cvanciger/Abigail Thurmer 6-0
#3 – Hanmare McAslin/Sarah Millard vs. Marina Markina/Kira Matushkina 4-5 unf.
Order of finish: 2,1
SINGLES
#1 – #24 Sofia Johnson def. Anna Grigoreva 6-0, 6-1
#2 – Lilly Cvanciger vs. Kira Matushkina 6-4, 6-7(5) unf.
#3 – Carla Muro Castellvi vs. #117 Lidiia Rasskouskaia 3-6, 7-5, 3-1 unf.
#4 – Hanmare McAslin vs. Ulyana Romanova 1-6, 7-5, 1-3 unf.
#5 – Victoria Matasova def. Sarah Millard 6-2, 6-1
#6 – Marina Markina def. Ariadna Fernandez 7-5, 6-1
Order of finish: 5,1,6
