TUCSON, Ariz. - Arizona (10-6) completed a 4-3 comeback win against Rice (9-5) to notch its first true marquee upset victory of the season.

"This is a huge win for our team for so many reasons," said head coach Vicky Maes. "We've been beaten down with injuries, and some of our top players aren't able to contribute. It's forced us to make adjustments in doubles and have people slide in the bottom of the lineup that haven't played much. The obstacles have been thrown at us day after day, and to be able to beat a team like Rice was great. After we played them close in doubles, I told the girls that if we fought really hard, we could put some points together. Lauren didn't play her best but still found a way to win. Paris has been putting things together very nicely. Camila is working hard to find out how good she could be, and she proved that today. Maggie and Marie both fought but weren't quite able to get wins. To see Sophie come in at No. 6 after having played so few matches this year, and find a way to win, was really great. To finally have a clincher go our way, after having lost several 4-3 matches this season, feels like a very satisfying day. They keep fighting regardless of the situation. They believe in themselves, and as coaches we couldn't be more pleased."

"I'm really proud of our team," said Lauren Marker. "Especially with our No. 2 and No. 3 hurt, we've been through a lot this year. Today was a whole team effort. It was great to see a 4-3 match go our way, because we've lost a few of them this season. Sophia, under pressure, was amazing to see. She pulled it out for us in a great atmosphere, and I'm just proud of the team."
 
Arizona had to work from behind, as they dropped the doubles point. Maggie Cohen and Sophia Thomas dropped a 6-2 match to Durkin/Ip. Camila Wesbrooks and Marie Van Aelst lost 7-5 to Ho/Niezgoda to clinch the point for Rice. Marker and Paris Corley led Zhang/Hodge 5-4 at the time the point was clinched.
 
The Owls took a 2-0 lead when Fernanda Astete defeated Van Aelst 6-4, 6-2. The Cats came right back to tie it, though, starting with No. 119 Corley. She defeated No. 101 Katherine Ip 6-4, 6-3. No. 29 Marker beat No. 98 Lindsey Hodge 6-3, 6-4 to tie the match at 2-2. Rice regained the lead when Alison Ho won a 6-3, 6-3 match over Cohen. The Cats kept fighting though, as Wesbrooks immediately tied it again by beating Wendy Zhang 6-4, 6-4.
 
That set the stage for a back-and-forth battle on court No. 6. It came down to the third set, as every single person in attendance came to watch the finish. With her teammates and members of the men's team chanting "Arizona", Thomas was able to dig deep enough to clinch the match for the Wildcats. She beat Savannah Durkin 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, and was immediately mobbed by her teammates on the court.

Doubles
1. Lauren Marker/Paris Corley (ARIZ) vs. Wendy Zhang/Lindsey Hodge (RICE) 5-4, unfinished
 
2. Alison Ho/Priya Niezgoda (RICE) def. Camila Wesbrooks/Marie Van Aelst (ARIZ) 7-5
 
3. Savannah Durkin/Katherine Ip (RICE) def. Maggie Cohen/Sophia Thomas (ARIZ) 6-2
 
Order of Finish: 3, 2
 
Singles
1. #29 Lauren Marker (ARIZ) def. #98 Lindsey Hodge (RICE) 6-3, 6-4
 
2. #119 Paris Corley (ARIZ) def. #101 Katherine Ip (RICE) 6-4, 6-3
 
3. Camila Wesbrooks (ARIZ) def. Wendy Zhang (RICE) 6-4, 6-4
 
4. Fernanda Astete (RICE) def. Marie Van Aelst (ARIZ) 6-4, 6-2
 
5. Alison Ho (RICE) def. Maggie Cohen (ARIZ) 6-3, 6-3
 
6. Sophia Thomas (ARIZ) def. Savannah Durkin (RICE) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5


Order of Finish: 4, 2, 1, 5, 3, 6
 
Up Next
Arizona will remain at home next weekend, taking on Denver on Friday, Mar. 31 at 12 p.m. MST and Oregon on Saturday, Apr. 1 at 12 p.m. MST.
 
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