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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 27
Oxford, Miss.
3 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
Texas A&M
Ole Miss Women’s Tennis Prepares to Host Two Top Ten Opponents Hailing from the Lone Star State
3/26/2026 | Women's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's tennis to host two top ten foes from the Lone Star State this weekend, with the first match-up against No. 3 Texas A&M, followed up by No. 7 Texas.
The Rebels (9-7, 3-6 SEC) are coming off a week where they finished 2-1; they split their two SEC matches, losing on the road to No. 12 Vanderbilt before returning to Oxford to beat Missouri. Additionally, Ole Miss picked up a win in the second leg of a doubleheader on Saturday against Missouri State.
The Rebels' next challenge will be against Texas A&M (16-3, 8-1 SEC) on Friday, March 27, at 3 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center.
The Aggies have put out premier lineups all spring as they have put together an impressive resume. With a berth in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, falling short in the semifinals.
Texas A&M began conference play by defeating its in-state rival, Texas, and its only SEC loss was sustained against No. 1 Georgia.
Their singles lineup is littered with talent, with four ranked players, including No. 2 Lucciana Perez.
The Longhorns (12-4, 7-2 SEC) will bring another array of top talent when they come to Oxford on Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m.
Texas has shown itself to be a scary match-up for any team in the country. They went 2-1 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship while playing other top programs.
In SEC play, although they fell to No. 5 Texas A&M and most recently No.18 Tennessee, they are one of only two teams to have taken down No. 1 Georgia in conference play.
Ole Miss most recently faced the Longhorns last spring when they defeated then No. 13 Texas, 4-2 in Austin, Texas.
THE REBELS
Riley Crowder (Fr.) – Dothan, Alabama
- No. 1 recruit out of Alabama in 2025 class
- 2022 USTA Alabama State Junior and Southern Junior Player of the Year
- Ranked as high No. 167 in the ITF World Junior circuit
-Compiled a 6-3 record in singles and 5-4 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
Ichino Horikawa (Sr.) – Kyoto, Japan
- Posted a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 173
- Secured the deciding match point in Ole Miss' upset of No.4 LSU
-Compiled a 7-6 record in singles and 7-6 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
Andrea Nova (Jr.) – Prague, Czechia
- Went 13-12 in singles and 12-14 in doubles during her sophomore campaign
- Helped the Rebels reach the 2025 NCAA Tournament
-Along with Welker, reached the round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championship
Brooklyn Olson (So.) – Kansas City, Kansas
- Went 4-0 in dual singles matches in 2025
- Overall singles record of 10-8
- Blue Chip five-star recruit
Alice Soulié (So.) – Angers, France
- Paced the team in dual victories with 12 in 2025, also adding nine wins in doubles
- Nine of her wins came against conference opponents in 2025, also tops for the team
- Clinched the match-winning point against No. 13 Texas to give Ole Miss its biggest upset of the 2024-25 season
- The Soulié/Welker duo defeated Georgia's then-No. 75 tandem of Aysegul Mert and Hayden Mulberry
Emily Welker (Gr.) – Limbach-Oberfrohna, Saxony, Germany
- Ranked No. 6 in ITA singles at the end of the 2025 Fall season
- Reached the NCAA Singles Championship Semifinals in 2025, defeating opponents ranked Nos. 106, 88, 45 and 26
-Along with Nova, reached the round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championship
Owen Wilkinson (Fr.) – Oxford, Mississippi
- Top-ranked recruit in her class out of Mississippi, according to Tennis Recruiting Network
- Won two consecutive MHSAA Class 6A state titles in girls' singles in 2022 and 2023
Beatrice Stagno (Fr.) – Milan, Italy
-Career-high ITF Singles Ranking of 124
RANKINGS
Team:
No. 3 – Texas A&M
No. 7 - Texas
No. 41 – Ole Miss
Singles:
No. 1 – Carmen Andreea Herea (UT)
No. 2 – Lucciana Perez (TA&M)
No 12 – Anastasia Abbagnato (UT)
No. 15 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 31 – Mia Kupres (TA&M)
No. 54 – Ilinca Amariei (TA&M)
No. 71 – Eszter Meri (UT)
No. 96 – Violeta Martinez (TA&M)
Doubles:
No. 8 – Lucciana Perez and Mia Kupres (TA&M)
No. 23 – Andrea Nova and Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 41 – Anastasia Abbagnato and Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (UT)
No. 53 – Salma Drugdova and Anastasia Abbagnato (UT)
No. 63 – Elizabeth Ionescu and Carmen Andreea Hearea (UT)
No. 71 – Elizabeth Ionescu and Christasha McNeil (UT)
No. 75 – Ilinca Amariei and Violeta Martinez (TA&M)
RETURNING REBELS
After graduating four seniors from the previous year's team, all five remaining players will remain at Ole Miss for the 2025-26 campaign. This season marks Emma Kette's fourth year with the program, as well as Andrea Nova's third year. Among those returning from last season, Nova leads with 13 wins this past spring. Emily Welker started a majority of matches at court 1 for the Rebels in 2025. Alice Soulié led the team with nine conference wins this past season.
FRESH FACES
The Rebels brought in three freshmen this offseason to round out the remainder of the roster. Riley Crowder joins the team as the No. 1 recruit coming out of Alabama this past recruiting cycle. Additionally, Owen Wilkinson will come in as the No. 1 recruit coming out of Mississippi, boasting two MHSAA Class 6A titles in girls' singles at nearby Oxford High School. Ichino Horikawa comes to Ole Miss by way of Japan after posting a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 173.
FOLLOW THE REBELS ON SOCIAL
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also, follow Coach Roberts on Twitter, @gdrob91.
The Rebels (9-7, 3-6 SEC) are coming off a week where they finished 2-1; they split their two SEC matches, losing on the road to No. 12 Vanderbilt before returning to Oxford to beat Missouri. Additionally, Ole Miss picked up a win in the second leg of a doubleheader on Saturday against Missouri State.
The Rebels' next challenge will be against Texas A&M (16-3, 8-1 SEC) on Friday, March 27, at 3 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center.
The Aggies have put out premier lineups all spring as they have put together an impressive resume. With a berth in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, falling short in the semifinals.
Texas A&M began conference play by defeating its in-state rival, Texas, and its only SEC loss was sustained against No. 1 Georgia.
Their singles lineup is littered with talent, with four ranked players, including No. 2 Lucciana Perez.
The Longhorns (12-4, 7-2 SEC) will bring another array of top talent when they come to Oxford on Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m.
Texas has shown itself to be a scary match-up for any team in the country. They went 2-1 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship while playing other top programs.
In SEC play, although they fell to No. 5 Texas A&M and most recently No.18 Tennessee, they are one of only two teams to have taken down No. 1 Georgia in conference play.
Ole Miss most recently faced the Longhorns last spring when they defeated then No. 13 Texas, 4-2 in Austin, Texas.
THE REBELS
Riley Crowder (Fr.) – Dothan, Alabama
- No. 1 recruit out of Alabama in 2025 class
- 2022 USTA Alabama State Junior and Southern Junior Player of the Year
- Ranked as high No. 167 in the ITF World Junior circuit
-Compiled a 6-3 record in singles and 5-4 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
Ichino Horikawa (Sr.) – Kyoto, Japan
- Posted a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 173
- Secured the deciding match point in Ole Miss' upset of No.4 LSU
-Compiled a 7-6 record in singles and 7-6 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
Andrea Nova (Jr.) – Prague, Czechia
- Went 13-12 in singles and 12-14 in doubles during her sophomore campaign
- Helped the Rebels reach the 2025 NCAA Tournament
-Along with Welker, reached the round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championship
Brooklyn Olson (So.) – Kansas City, Kansas
- Went 4-0 in dual singles matches in 2025
- Overall singles record of 10-8
- Blue Chip five-star recruit
Alice Soulié (So.) – Angers, France
- Paced the team in dual victories with 12 in 2025, also adding nine wins in doubles
- Nine of her wins came against conference opponents in 2025, also tops for the team
- Clinched the match-winning point against No. 13 Texas to give Ole Miss its biggest upset of the 2024-25 season
- The Soulié/Welker duo defeated Georgia's then-No. 75 tandem of Aysegul Mert and Hayden Mulberry
Emily Welker (Gr.) – Limbach-Oberfrohna, Saxony, Germany
- Ranked No. 6 in ITA singles at the end of the 2025 Fall season
- Reached the NCAA Singles Championship Semifinals in 2025, defeating opponents ranked Nos. 106, 88, 45 and 26
-Along with Nova, reached the round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championship
Owen Wilkinson (Fr.) – Oxford, Mississippi
- Top-ranked recruit in her class out of Mississippi, according to Tennis Recruiting Network
- Won two consecutive MHSAA Class 6A state titles in girls' singles in 2022 and 2023
Beatrice Stagno (Fr.) – Milan, Italy
-Career-high ITF Singles Ranking of 124
RANKINGS
Team:
No. 3 – Texas A&M
No. 7 - Texas
No. 41 – Ole Miss
Singles:
No. 1 – Carmen Andreea Herea (UT)
No. 2 – Lucciana Perez (TA&M)
No 12 – Anastasia Abbagnato (UT)
No. 15 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 31 – Mia Kupres (TA&M)
No. 54 – Ilinca Amariei (TA&M)
No. 71 – Eszter Meri (UT)
No. 96 – Violeta Martinez (TA&M)
Doubles:
No. 8 – Lucciana Perez and Mia Kupres (TA&M)
No. 23 – Andrea Nova and Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 41 – Anastasia Abbagnato and Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (UT)
No. 53 – Salma Drugdova and Anastasia Abbagnato (UT)
No. 63 – Elizabeth Ionescu and Carmen Andreea Hearea (UT)
No. 71 – Elizabeth Ionescu and Christasha McNeil (UT)
No. 75 – Ilinca Amariei and Violeta Martinez (TA&M)
RETURNING REBELS
After graduating four seniors from the previous year's team, all five remaining players will remain at Ole Miss for the 2025-26 campaign. This season marks Emma Kette's fourth year with the program, as well as Andrea Nova's third year. Among those returning from last season, Nova leads with 13 wins this past spring. Emily Welker started a majority of matches at court 1 for the Rebels in 2025. Alice Soulié led the team with nine conference wins this past season.
FRESH FACES
The Rebels brought in three freshmen this offseason to round out the remainder of the roster. Riley Crowder joins the team as the No. 1 recruit coming out of Alabama this past recruiting cycle. Additionally, Owen Wilkinson will come in as the No. 1 recruit coming out of Mississippi, boasting two MHSAA Class 6A titles in girls' singles at nearby Oxford High School. Ichino Horikawa comes to Ole Miss by way of Japan after posting a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 173.
FOLLOW THE REBELS ON SOCIAL
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also, follow Coach Roberts on Twitter, @gdrob91.
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