British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

RE: US College chat 2025/26

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

All the very best, Millie

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Hep clinches the huge upset for Ohio State who knock out the favourites UNC 4-2

.
Her roommate and doubles partner Teah Chavez said that Hep was in tears afterwards and that Hep said that was the hardest thing she's ever done. That showed as she lost the 2nd set from *4-1 but after some words from Teah came out focussed and determined for the 3rd set.

6: Hep Oluwadare (OSU) d. #90 Theadora Rabman (UNC) 6-1 4-6 6-1
Ohio state play Texas A&M in the SF.

LSU lost 0-4. Ella led #74 Lopata 6-1 4-6 1-0
NC State lost 4-1. Jasmine lost 4-6 4-6 against the player Marelie played yesterday.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

With Texas A&M playing Ohio State and Georgia v Auburn in the semis, does that leave Hep and, I believe Flora Johnson, as the remaining Brits left in the event for Ohio State?

Var · Futures level

Lambda wrote:
Hep clinches the huge upset for Ohio State who knock out the favourites UNC 4-2 .
Her roommate and doubles partner Teah Chavez said that Hep was in tears afterwards and that Hep said that was the hardest thing she's ever done. That showed as she lost the 2nd set from *4-1 but after some words from Teah came out focussed and determined for the 3rd set.

6: Hep Oluwadare (OSU) d. #90 Theadora Rabman (UNC) 6-1 4-6 6-1
Ohio state play Texas A&M in the SF.

LSU lost 0-4. Ella led #74 Lopata 6-1 4-6 1-0
NC State lost 4-1. Jasmine lost 4-6 4-6 against the player Marelie played yesterday.

Is Ella OK? I saw the fall she had in Instagram.

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Yes, Hep and Flora are the only British players left in the main draw. Flora is Ohio State's No 7 in singles so only gets singles action when they drop someone, but she does usually play No 2 doubles. Hep is No 1 doubles and No 6 singles. And they also have Nao Nishino who, while Japanese, is an alum of Surbiton High School.
There is a Brit on the coaching staff of Auburn. Pete Francis is Assistant coach.

Ella is fine. That fall was on Friday.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I thought this gave rather a nice visual of the top recruiting class players

and special congrats to Elizabeth Evans, for getting into Harvard

www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Ohio Stake make their first national final of any kind in their women's programme history after defeating Texas A&M 4-2. Hep moved up to singles 5 as Ohio State used their swap card - the women are allowed to move players by 1 position from their pre- tournament submitted line up in 1 round before the final.

D1: Hep Oluwadare/ Teah Chavez (OSU) lost to Kupres/ Perez (TAM) 3-6
D2: FIora Johnson/Luciana Perry (OSU) v. Martinez/ Perelman (TAM) 5-4 40-40* unf.

S5: Hep Oluwadare (OSU) d. Daria Smetannikov (TAM) 6-3 6-4
A wobble at closing out the match makes the scoreline look closer then it was. Hep had match point at 5-1*
Hep's win put Ohio state 3-2 ahead with Nao Nishino securing the tie shortly after.

They will play Georgia in the final.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Good luck to Hep and Flora in the final!

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Ohio State came close but lost 3-4. It came down to a final set tie-break which they lost 7-9.

Hep and FIora both lost their doubles and Hep battled in singles but came up just short against the experienced Rojas (WR 864) losing 6 (3) & 4.

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Weekly awards

Hephzibah Oluwadare - Freshman - Ohio State - Big Ten Freshman of the Week
Went 2-1 in singles in the Buckeyes' run to the ITA Indoors final, marking the program's first appearance in the championship match. Against No. 1 UNC, clinched the team victory, rolling to a 6-1 win in her third set match on court six vs. No. 90 ranked Theadora Rabiman, her first collegiate dual win. Put the Buckeyes ahead 3-2 against No. 3 Texas A&M with a straight set win on court five over No. 96 Daria Smetannikov

Will Burridge (with Erlewein) - Junior - Drexel - CAA Men's Doubles Team of the week
Burridge and Erlewein contributed a 2-0 week at No. 1 doubles in matches against Rider and St. John's. Burridge and Erlewein also combined for three singles wins last week.

Francesca Davis (with Larsson) - Junior - William & Mary - CAA Women's Doubles Team of the week
Davis and Larsson went 2-0 at No. 1 doubles as William & Mary earned the doubles point in both matches last week.

Isabella Walker (with Z Epps) - Freshman - LA Tech - Conference USA Women's Doubles Team of the week
the duo had the tall task of facing Mississippi State's No. 1 who were ranked 9th in the country. With Epps and Walker down 2-4 in the match, they reeled off four straight games to win 6-4 and claim the highest ranked victory in program history.

Raffaello Papajcik - Senior - Denver - Summit League Men's Performer of the week
Raffaello Papajcik (with Beduhn) - Senior - Denver - Summit League Men's Doubles Team of the week
Went 2-0 from the No. 1 spot in singles. Duo earned a win at No. 3 doubles over over Montana's Joseph Townes and Matt Upton (6-1)

Arthur Attrill (with Datei) - Freshman - Georgia State - Sun Belt Men's Doubles Team of the week
The doubles team of Gabriele Datei and Arthur Attrill won both of their doubles matches for Georgia State. The Panther pair defeated the No. 48 pairing of Alvarez and Sparks from Tennessee Tech 7-5

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

With the influx of 20 something pro players into college tennis, as well as some other college sports, the question of eligibility is a big talking point at the moment. This article by the Northwestern University paper is a good read on the issue, where the coaches admit that even they don't know what the rules are at the moment. It also touches briefly on prize money eligibility as well. It includes quotes from English coaches Simon Earnshaw and Claire Pollard, head coaches of NC State and Northwestern women's teams respectively.

-- Edited by Lambda on Thursday 12th of February 2026 06:40:11 PM

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Attention now turns to the men's National Team Indoor Championships held at SMU (Dallas) and Baylor (Waco).

https://wearecollegetennis.com/ita-division-i-mens-national-team-indoor-championship/

TCU (Bonding) v LSU 3pm GMT (Baylor site)
Ohio State (A Okonkwo) v SMU 6pm GMT (SMU)
UCF (Ampaw) v Baylor (Koenig, Bowden) 9.30pm GMT (Baylor)
Florida (Jefferson) v Mississippi State 12.30am GMT (SMU)
Wake Forest (Pow, Robertson) v UC Santa Barbara 12.30am GMT (Baylor)

TCU are lacking a No 1 player this year but should have too much depth for LSU and will be helped by LSU's No 1 being missing who will be playing his QF in the Baton Rouge Challenger while this match is going on. I expect Bonding to play No 1 dubs and No 4 singles.
Favourites Ohio State should breeze past SMU. Okonkwo generally plays No 1 dubs. I don't think he'll feature in singles but with a large roster they do regularly play different line-ups.
I don't expect Ampaw to play for UCF, indeed he may be injured as I saw he retired from his only match this year. I think this will be close between these conference rivals but UCF may just edge it. Not sure where Luc and Louis fit in to Baylor's lineup.
In another in conference match up, on paper Miss State should have too much for Florida missing Jeremy Jin, who would likely have slotted in at No 1 or 2 but Florida pulled off 2 good upsets to get here so shouldn't be underestimated. Henry should play No 1 dubs and either 2 or 3 singles.
No 1 seeds at the Baylor site, Wake Forest should get past the surprise qualifiers UCSB but haven't shown great form so far this season. Wake keep mixing up their doubles teams so impossible to say where Luca and Charlie fit into doubles. They played together at No 3 last time out. Luca should play No 2 or 3 singles and Charlie No 5 singles.

The quality on the men's side doesn't feel as great this year as it has been in recent years. There were many upsets in the qualifiers and even the strongest teams have shown vulnerabilities. Ohio State are the only team that hasn't but have played all their matches at home and haven't been tested on the road. I'd expect Oho State to get to the final from the SMU site. The Baylor site is more difficult to predict but it would be a surprise if it wasn't either Wake, TCU or Texas.

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

D1: Oli Bonding/Cooper Woestendick (TCU) lost 4-6
S4: Oli Bonding lost to Sasa Markovic (LSU) 2-6 4-6
TCU beat LSU 4-1

A slow start in singles for TCU against a LSU team missing 3 of their top 4 as they went down 1st set breaks on 4 courts and lost 3 1st sets. They all turned it around except Oli.
QF against fierce rivals Texas or Texas A&M tomorrow.

Lambda · Masters Series Champion

Ohio State narrowly escaped a 2nd consecutive shock R1 exit by the skin of their teeth, requiring a 3rd set tie-break in the remaining match to win it 4-3. As expected Okonkwo played doubles but not singles, although he is listed at No 4 singles for the tournament. Unfortunately he didn't win his doubles.

Ohio State play Stanford in the QF
TCU play Texas.

UCF (without Ampaw), Florida, Baylor and Wake Forest still to play.