Houston tennis player Sophie Schouten waits to receive a serve during her singles match against BYU on Saturday, February 28, 2026, in Houston, Texas. | Seles Sanchez/The Cougar
Houston took their reign over to Tempe, Ariz., on March 6, and faced off against the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Whiteman Tennis Center. The Sun Devils held their ground and did not lose a single match to the Cougars. This marks the first loss of the 2026 season for the Houston Cougars.
The first set of doubles to close out was Sun Devils junior Sara Svetac and senior Vivian Ovrootsky who blinded the Cougars with their bright shots. Seniors Sophie Schouten and Chems Doha Zeghlouli lost their set to 6-2.
Another loss was added to the board when Cougars juniors Valeriia Krokhotina and Iva Sepa lost a tough battle 6-4. The Arizona State Sun Devils were met with an early lead 1-0 and ended the round of doubles, which left the Cougars in a shaky scene.
Singles Match Recaps:
Arizona State went into the singles round with pure might and determination. The Sun Devils junior Emilija Tverijonaite started and finished the match with grit against the Cougars junior Elizaveta Morozova, who lost 6-3, 6-0.
Adding the third point to the Sun Devils’ score, Ovrootsky prevailed over Houston’s Sepa for the win 6-1, 6-4.
For the final point, Arizona State’s sophomore Aiya Nupbay sealed the win with a 6-4, 6-1 over Houston’s Drame, which ended the remaining matches for the day in Tempe, Arizona.
Final Set Summaries:
In doubles, Arizona State’s Svetac and Ovrootsky defeated Cougars Schouten and Zeghlouli 6-2. Followed by the Sun Devils’ second doubles win, Nupbay and sophomore Lily Taylor battled against Krokhotina and Sepa 6-4.
Arizona State secured the doubles point, which left Houston’s Drame and Morozova in a tied match against Sun Devils Tverijonaite and freshman Sarang Lim 4-4, leaving the match unfinished.
In singles, Sun Devils Tverijonaite defeated Cougar Morozova 6-3, 6-0. Followed by another win, collected by Ovrootsky against Sepa 6-1, 6-4 for the Sun Devils. With the final point going to the Sun Devils for a 6-4, 6-1 win against Drame. Additionally, Zeghlouli, Krokhotina and Schouten left their matches unfinished.
Despite their unfortunate loss, Zeghlouli was honored as the Big 12 player of the week. The Houston Cougars will try to overcome this setback and continue their travels in Arizona. The Cougars will be at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center, facing the Arizona Wildcats on Mar. 8.
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