Dong Tops Baylor WT’s Comeback in NCAA First Round Against No. 25 Wisconsin, 4-3

[Pirtle, Colin]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 2, 2026

Dong Tops Baylor WT’s Comeback in NCAA First Round Against No. 25 Wisconsin, 4-3
Bears move on to face hosting No. 3 Texas A&M at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu<mailto:colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu>


BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 37 Baylor (14-9) edged out No. 25 Wisconsin (17-8) with a 4-3 victory in the first round of the NCAA Championship on Saturday at Texas A&M’s Mitchell Tennis Center. The Bears secured their win through strong singles performances, capturing victories at the No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 positions.



With this victory, the Bears advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years.



THE RUNDOWN

Baylor dropped the doubles point to Wisconsin, as the Badgers secured victories on courts two and one. Alian Zack and Gabrielle Villegas fell 6-4 to Ellison Reynoldson and Kaja Jacobson at No. 2 doubles, while the No. 56 ranked pair of Maria Sholokhova and Ekaterina Ivanova defeated Zuzanna Kubacha and Neda Rahimkhani, 6-4, at No. 1 doubles.



Play was halted at No. 3 doubles with Na Dong and Kennedy Gibbs trailing 5-3 against Kaede Usui and Tianna Rangan.



In singles, Baylor mounted a comeback starting with Mu-Jie Tzeng's decisive 6-1, 6-3 win over Kaede Usui at No. 5 singles, leveling the overall score. Gibbs followed by securing a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Tianna Rangan at No. 3 singles, putting the Bears ahead.



Kubacha, ranked No. 83, faced a tough match at No. 1 singles, where she was defeated by the No. 14 ranked Sholokhova, 6-2, 6-0, which tied the dual score once again.



Baylor regained momentum with Zack's 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 triumph over Reynoldson at No. 4 singles. A close contest on court six saw Luna Ivkovic narrowly edged out by Jacobson, 7-5, 7-6(7).



Dong, ranked No. 75, clinched the match for Baylor with a hard-fought 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-2 win over No. 62 Ivanova at No. 2 singles, securing the Bears' advancement.



UP NEXT

The Bears take on the hosting No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies, seeded fourth overall in the tournament, on Sunday afternoon at 1. Live results for the match will be available via StatBroadcast<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=658704>, and tickets remain available online<https://12thmanfoundation.evenue.net/events/TN-NCAASW>. With the competition on the main courts at the Mitchell Tennis Center, video will be live and available online<https://12thman.com/sports/2017/2/16/tennis-live-video>.



To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts at @BaylorWTennis.



 - BaylorBears.com -

_________________________________________
Colin Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (WBB, Soccer, W. Tennis)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 940-564-0351



[Image]<http://baylorbears.com/>




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