By Kalena Reynolds | Staff Writer
No. 23 Baylor women’s tennis celebrated its seniors with a clean 4-0 sweep against No. 40 TCU on Saturday afternoon at the Hurd Tennis Center.
Coming off wins against Arizona and Arizona State, the Bears were prepared to bring a win to their home court as an ode to the seniors.
“I am really proud of the team,” head coach Joey Scrivano said. “They competed so well, they were so prepared, they really wanted this win today, and they were doing it for their seniors. This was a really special day, and a special way to cap it off.”
The green and gold were forced to dig their heels in early to secure a win, with the doubles point spanning a full hour. Baylor eventually secured the match’s first point after a long fight on Courts Two and Three.
While Baylor’s No. 30 duo, Liubov Kostenko and Cristina Tiglea, were defeated 6-4, Kostenko reflected on her time at Baylor and said she wants to emphasize the support she has had from the people around her during college athletics.
“I think the whole journey that I’ve been through here and the people that have helped me [stands out the most],” Kostenko said. “Most of them have been with me since day one, and I am going to miss all of it, all of the moments — the good and the bad — but it was crazy good overall.”
The Bears, however, flipped the token when freshman duo Na Dong and Wenfei Yu took the court, picking up a 6-2 win on Court Three. Following the narrative of success to Court Two, junior Sierra Berry and sophomore Zuzanna Kubacha saw a 7-3 tiebreak win to gain another point for the Bears.
Dong, Yu, Berry and Kubacha were all new pairs in 2025, making the green and gold’s win even sweeter and bringing a strong start to singles.
Gibbs started strong with a 6-4 win in her first set against TCU’s Cayetana Gay, heading into a retirement in the second set, allowing the Bears to take the first singles point.
On Court Four, Dong earned her 12th consecutive singles win, a staggering mark for a freshman, 6-4, 6-2. Adding to the sweetness of the victory, Kostenko also saw a victory for her on Senior Day on Court One, ending with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win.
As the Bears head into the Big 12 Tennis Championships, they wrap up the season with 19 wins and the first sweep against TCU since 2022.
Baylor secured the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 Championships and await their tournament-opening opponent in a match that will be played Friday at 4 p.m. at the Hurd Tennis Center.
