PHOTOS

CLAREMONT, Calif. -- The University of Chicago women's tennis team fell short in their NCAA Quarterfinal matchup with a 4-3 loss to #10 WashU.

The loss for the Maroons is their first to a Division III opponent since March 3, 2024, snapping a 33-match win streak. The loss is also the first by the University of Chicago that was not in an Indoor National Championship or Outdoor National Championship match since they fell to #7 Carnegie Mellon on February 28, 2020.

In doubles play, the Bears picked up the first match win at #1 doubles as they rolled to a 6-2 victory, but the Maroons came right back to level the doubles score line as Sylwia Mikos and Shianna Guo won 6-2 at #2 doubles.

In the deciding match for the doubles point, Lauren Khou and Erica Ekstrand battled back to get the match to 5-5, but the Bears picked up a big break of serve to win 7-5 and take a 1-0 lead in the match.

In singles play, Clara Zou and Nicole Geller dominated to put the Maroons back on top with a 2-1 lead. Zou controlled the match from start to finish. bringing home a 6-0, 6-2 win at #5 singles. Meanwhile, Geller quickly fell behind 3-1 in the opening set of her match, but she responded with a vengeance, winning ten of the next 11 games, and rolled to a 6-4, 6-1 win at #3 singles.

The Bears leveled the score with a 6-4, 6-1 win at #1 singles. This left three matches on the court with both teams needing to win two of the three three-set thrillers. The Bears drew first blood in the three-set matches as they came from behind to take the #6 singles match 5-7, 6-0, 6-1. 

At #6 singles, Oliwia Mikos picked up a clutch break of serve to take the opening set 7-5, but the sophomore ran out of gas late and fell 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to put the Bears on top 3-2. In what could have been the deciding match, Sylwia Mikos rolled to a 6-2 win in the opening set, but the WashU player came alive in the second set to blank Mikos 6-0, sending it to a deciding third set.

In the final set, Sylwia Mikos was broken early, and the WashU player took a 5-2 lead, needing just one of the next three games to win the match for the Bears. However, after she held serve, Mikos saved a pair of match points after being down 3-5 (30-40) to keep the hopes alive for the Maroons. Both players then held serve over the next three games to send the match to a deciding tiebreak. After the WashU player opened up to a 4-1 lead, Mikos proceeded to win six of the next seven points to hold on for a dramatic 6-2, 0-6, 7-6(7-5) win to level the match at three.

The final match to be decided was at four singles as Serena Biria looked to clinch the match for the Maroons. After the first set was level at four games a piece, Biria broke serve to take the opening set 6-4. The Bears' player battled back to win the second set 6-2 to send the third of six singles matches to a deciding set. In the final set, WashU was able to pick up an early break of serve and had a chance to serve for the match, leading 5-4. However, Biria, just as Mikos did earlier, fought off a pair of match points to break serve and level the set at 5-5. However, after a grueling three-hour match, WashU was able to break serve and hold in the final game to hold on for the 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 win and the 4-3 win in the match.

With the loss, the Maroons cap off their season with a 22-2 record on the year and . The 2025 senior class also caps off their career with a record of 90-6 in dual matches over the past four seasons.

Three UChicago student-athletes will continue the season individually as Sylwia Mikos and Oliwia Mikos will team up in the Doubles National Championships, and Sylwia Mikos and Erica Ekstrand will both compete in the Singles National Championships. Those tournament will begin on Saturday, May 25 and continue through Tuesday, May 28.