Vanderbilt University’s women’s tennis team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship after a close 4-3 win over Ole Miss on April 16 at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
The match was significant for Vanderbilt, ranked No. 14 and seeded seventh, as it kept their championship hopes alive and set up a meeting with No. 2 seed Texas A&M in the next round. The Commodores improved their season record to 20-8 overall and 9-6 in conference play.
The contest began with doubles matches split between both teams. Vanderbilt’s freshmen Erin Pearce and Mia Yamakita secured an early win at No. 3 doubles, while Ole Miss responded with a victory at the top position. Ultimately, junior Valeria Ray and senior Bridget Stammel clinched the doubles point for Vanderbilt by winning a tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles.
In singles play, Stammel extended Vanderbilt’s lead with a straight-set win before Ole Miss rallied to tie the overall score at three points each. Yamakita contributed another point for Vanderbilt during this stretch. With the match tied, Ray overcame an initial set loss to defeat her opponent in three sets and secure victory for her team.
The Commodores have remained unbeaten following two consecutive losses this season and previously achieved winning streaks of six and five matches under similar circumstances. They will face Texas A&M—who has already beaten them twice this year—in Friday’s quarterfinal matchup.
Live streaming of Friday’s match is available online along with live statistics through official tournament resources.
