Makarova and Goldsmith Fall in NCAA Quarterfinals

By: Nick Whitley, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

ORLANDO, Fla. – The 2020-21 Texas A&M women’s tennis season concluded on Wednesday, as the All-American doubles team of No. 20-ranked Tatiana Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith dropped a 6-3, 6-1 result to No. 21 Rosie Johanson and Emma Navarro of Virginia in the NCAA Individual Championships Doubles Quarterfinals at the USTA National Campus Collegiate Complex.

The match began at an even pace, with both teams holding serve in their first service games followed by an exchange of breaks. The set score was tied at 3-3 when the Cavalier duo pulled away by holding serve in their remaining games and breaking the Aggies once to complete the 6-3 opener. Virginia’s momentum carried forward into the second set, finalizing the 6-3, 6-1 score.

A&M’s headline doubles team finishes the year with a 20-11 overall record including a whopping eight victories against ranked opposition in doubles play. Makarova and Goldsmith combined for two victories against opponents ranked in the top ten, defeating then-No. 6 Katarina Jokic and Ariana Arsenault in the dual match campaign before setting a career-high ranked win against No. 5 Jaeda Daniel and Adriana Reami of North Carolina State in the NCAA Doubles Quarterfinals on Tuesday. Makarova and Goldsmith made history by being named ITA All-Americans, a feat accomplished by only one other A&M duo in Rachel Pierson and Rutuja Bhosale.

Both Makarova and Goldsmith are set to return to Aggieland next season, joining four other members of this year’s squad which finished as the No. 15 team in the final Oracle ITA Women’s Team Rankings of the 2021 dual match season. In addition to A&M’s returners, the Aggies feature four freshman signees that were rated as the No. 3 overall signing class in 2021. A&M now enters the offseason, as members of next year’s team begin making preparations for summer and fall tournaments before first serve in the 2022 campaign.

POSTMATCH QUOTES
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Weaver

On his thoughts after the match…
“Although this was a very tough match for us today, we are extremely happy to be returning to Aggieland with All-American recognition for Tatiana [Makarova] and Jayci [Goldsmith]. It has been an incredible season for our team as a whole, and for these two individually. Coach [Jordan] Szabo and I can’t wait for our opportunities coming up and we are very optimistic going forward into next season.”

TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
NCAA Women’s Tennis Individual Championships
USTA National Campus Collegiate Complex – Orlando, Florida
Doubles Quarterfinals
#21 Rosie Johanson / Emma Navarro (UVA) def. #20 Tatiana Makarova / Jayci Goldsmith (TAMU) 6-3, 6-1

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