COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The No. 20 Texas A&M women’s tennis team celebrated the careers of seniors Riley McQuaid and Dorthea Faa-Hviding on Saturday afternoon with a resounding 4-1 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
With the victory in hand, the Maroon & White advance to 15-5 on the season with a 7-3 record against opponents from the Southeastern Conference. In defeat, the Razorbacks fall to 10-9 overall with a 4-9 record in SEC regular season play. Arkansas has dropped each of its last nine matches in conference play, while the Aggies went undefeated this week with a 2-0 record.
The match began as usual with doubles play, as Arkansas’ pair of Morgan Cross and Tatum Rice got on the board first with a 6-3 win over No. 43-ranked Tatiana Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith. A&M was quick to respond, with Faa-Hviding and Renee McBryde defeating Lauren Alter and Indianna Spink in a 6-3 affair. The doubles point came down to the No. 3 line, with McQuaid and Katya Townsend logging the decisive 6-4 win over Laura Rijkers and Kelly Keller to guide the Aggies to a 1-0 lead.
Both teams transitioned to singles play, with A&M taking four of the six first sets to get things started. The Razorbacks booked the first win in the singles competition with Keller defeating Goldsmith 6-3, 6-4. With the match tied at 1-1, McQuaid put the Aggies ahead for the second time following her 7-5, 6-4 result over Alter. Faa-Hviding also recorded a victory on her senior day, with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 over Cross to put the Maroon & White on the verge of their 15th team win this season. In what is beginning to sound like a broken record, McBryde clinched the match on court five with a thunderous 6-7(11), 6-0, 6-0 come-from-behind win over Rijkers to lock in the 4-1 score. No. 22 Makarova and Townsend each held commanding leads in their respective third sets, but their matches went unfinished as the team match was clinched.
After the match, Texas A&M University celebrated the two members of the women’s tennis team that are a part of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2021 in McQuaid and Faa-Hviding. The Stavanger, Norway, native Faa-Hviding has compiled a 70-33 overall singles record in Aggieland, which places her on second on the team, while McQuaid boasts a team-leading record of 78-33 in her collegiate career. Faa-Hviding will graduate in May and take on an internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in her native Norway, while McQuaid is set to graduate in August and become an associate at SailPoint Technologies in Austin.
Following Saturday’s result, the Wollongong, Australia, native McBryde maintains the second longest active win streak on the team, coming out on top in her previous nine matches. She is now 15-3 overall this season, 12-2 in dual matches, and an unblemished 8-0 at the No. 5 singles line. Faa-Hviding improves to 13-2 overall in the 2020-21 season with a 12-1 dual match record. McQuaid holds a 14-6 record this year with a strong 9-2 dual match season record.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M women’s tennis awaits confirmation from the Southeastern Conference regarding makeup matches at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center next week. Stay tuned to 12thman.com for the latest scheduling updates.
POSTMATCH QUOTES
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Weaver
On the team’s improvement in doubles…
“It was really great to see the improvements that we made in the doubles. We had a great practice yesterday in which we focused on sharpening up the basics a little bit, and I feel like the girls played with a lot of confidence. They were very sure of themselves out there today. Ultimately that doubles point was key, because those singles matches were awfully close out there. We won 4-1 overall and it could have quite possibly been 6-1, but for a while we were wondering where we were going to find those four points.”
On the Senior Day festivities for Dorthea Faa-Hviding and Riley McQuaid…
“I was very happy for Dorthea and Riley, and I was pleased that the match was won out on their courts, which made this feel extra special today. They really did a great job with the energy, and you could tell that they were enjoying themselves and thriving in the moment. It was a special day overall, and it always makes Senior Day that much more special when you’re able to get the team victory. Both of the girls have had amazing careers at Texas A&M, and they’ve done it with integrity every step of the way”
TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
No. 20 Texas A&M 4, Arkansas 1
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center – Bryan-College Station, Texas
Singles Competition
1. #22 Tatiana Makarova (TAMU) vs. #33 Indianna Spink (ARK) 6-2, 3-6, 5-2, unfinished
2. Kelly Keller (ARK) def. Jayci Goldsmith (TAMU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Katya Townsend (TAMU) vs. Tatum Rice (ARK) 6-3, 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
4. Dorthea Faa-Hviding (TAMU) def. Morgan Cross (ARK) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
5. Renee McBryde (TAMU) def. Laura Rijkers (ARK) 6-7(11), 6-0, 6-0
6. Riley McQuaid (TAMU) def. Lauren Alter (ARK) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. Morgan Cross / Tatum Rice (ARK) def. #43 Tatiana Makarova / Jayci Goldsmith (TAMU)
2. Renee McBryde / Dorthea Faa-Hviding (TAMU) def. Lauren Alter / Indianna Spink (ARK)
3. Riley McQuaid / Katya Townsend (TAMU) def. Laura Rijkers / Kelly Keller (ARK)
