Friday, May 15
Athens, Ga.
10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET
Pepperdine University
vs
Ohio State
No. 11 Women's Tennis Sets Sights on National Championship; Takes on No. 3 Ohio State in Quarterfinals Friday
5/14/2026 1:37:00 PM | Women's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — No. 11 Pepperdine women's tennis (21-4, 7-0 WCC) is set to take on No. 3 Ohio State (26-4, 12-1 B1G) in the NCAA Quarterfinals Friday at 1 p.m. ET from Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of Georgia.
Live scoring and streaming for all courts can be found here, with CrackedRacquets producing a full broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can also purchase tickets to the match here.Â
The Waves advanced to Athens with a thrilling 4-3 upset at No. 6 Oklahoma this past Friday, with freshman Sonja Zhiyenbayeva clinching the match on the final court in action at 3-3.
The Waves are currently on a 10-match winning streak, which includes five postseason matches between the WCC and NCAA Tournaments. Pepperdine has gone 13-2 this season against ranked opponents, including five victories against top-10 opponents.
In doubles, Zhiyenbayeva and Živa Falkner have posted a 13-1 overall record together this season, and knocked off the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the nation last week at Oklahoma. Anastasiia Grechkina and Chantal Sauvant have been consistent at flight two for the Waves with an 11-4 mark. Shihomi Leong and Duru Söke have also gone 11-4 this spring at the No. 3 doubles position.
Three Waves have posted 16 singles wins this spring to lead the way, featuring Harmon (16-2), Zhiyenbayeva (16-2) and Sauvant (16-4). The same trio earned singles wins at Oklahoma this past week.
Falkner has gone 11-7 at the No. 1 position for the Waves, with Grechkina going 10-7 to this point. Söke suffered her first singles loss of the season last week, currently boasting a 13-1 record mainly at the No. 5 position.
In the ITA singles rankings, four Waves are featured including Grechkina (No. 35), Falkner (No. 40), Zhiyenbayeva (No. 48) and Söke (No. 121). Falkner and Zhiyenbayeva also feature in the doubles rankings at No. 18.
Pepperdine and Ohio State met earlier this season in Malibu, with the Waves earning a 4-0 victory without dropping a set. The all-time series is currently tied 3-3.
The Buckeyes earned wins over Youngstown State, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt so far this NCAA Tournament, with each match having been played in Columbus.
Pepperdine will look to reach the semifinal round for the third time in program history. The Waves have reached the NCAA quarterfinals in seven of the past ten seasons, most recently advancing to the semifinals in 2024.Â
The winner of the match will advance into the NCAA semifinals, set for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. The Waves would take on either No. 2 Auburn or No. 10 LSU in the semifinals.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine women's tennis has been a consistent powerhouse in the collegiate scene, reaching 41 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 including 29 straight appearances. Since 2018, the program has seen three national runner-ups between both singles and doubles while reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals as a team seven times in the past ten seasons. The success at the conference level has been paramount with 34 WCC Championships including an active streak of 12 consecutive conference titles. With its 24 total All-Americans, the program has also consistently sent players to the pro circuit following their time in Malibu.Â
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's tennis news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWTEN.
Live scoring and streaming for all courts can be found here, with CrackedRacquets producing a full broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can also purchase tickets to the match here.Â
The Waves advanced to Athens with a thrilling 4-3 upset at No. 6 Oklahoma this past Friday, with freshman Sonja Zhiyenbayeva clinching the match on the final court in action at 3-3.
The Waves are currently on a 10-match winning streak, which includes five postseason matches between the WCC and NCAA Tournaments. Pepperdine has gone 13-2 this season against ranked opponents, including five victories against top-10 opponents.
In doubles, Zhiyenbayeva and Živa Falkner have posted a 13-1 overall record together this season, and knocked off the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the nation last week at Oklahoma. Anastasiia Grechkina and Chantal Sauvant have been consistent at flight two for the Waves with an 11-4 mark. Shihomi Leong and Duru Söke have also gone 11-4 this spring at the No. 3 doubles position.
Three Waves have posted 16 singles wins this spring to lead the way, featuring Harmon (16-2), Zhiyenbayeva (16-2) and Sauvant (16-4). The same trio earned singles wins at Oklahoma this past week.
Falkner has gone 11-7 at the No. 1 position for the Waves, with Grechkina going 10-7 to this point. Söke suffered her first singles loss of the season last week, currently boasting a 13-1 record mainly at the No. 5 position.
In the ITA singles rankings, four Waves are featured including Grechkina (No. 35), Falkner (No. 40), Zhiyenbayeva (No. 48) and Söke (No. 121). Falkner and Zhiyenbayeva also feature in the doubles rankings at No. 18.
Pepperdine and Ohio State met earlier this season in Malibu, with the Waves earning a 4-0 victory without dropping a set. The all-time series is currently tied 3-3.
The Buckeyes earned wins over Youngstown State, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt so far this NCAA Tournament, with each match having been played in Columbus.
Pepperdine will look to reach the semifinal round for the third time in program history. The Waves have reached the NCAA quarterfinals in seven of the past ten seasons, most recently advancing to the semifinals in 2024.Â
The winner of the match will advance into the NCAA semifinals, set for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. The Waves would take on either No. 2 Auburn or No. 10 LSU in the semifinals.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine women's tennis has been a consistent powerhouse in the collegiate scene, reaching 41 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 including 29 straight appearances. Since 2018, the program has seen three national runner-ups between both singles and doubles while reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals as a team seven times in the past ten seasons. The success at the conference level has been paramount with 34 WCC Championships including an active streak of 12 consecutive conference titles. With its 24 total All-Americans, the program has also consistently sent players to the pro circuit following their time in Malibu.Â
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's tennis news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWTEN.
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