No. 10 Buckeyes Down No. 3 Tar Heels to Reach ITA Indoors Semifinals

Saturday, February 7

Champaign, Ill.

4:30 p.m. ET

Ohio State

North Carolina (Quarterfinals)

No. 10 Buckeyes Down No. 3 Tar Heels to Reach ITA Indoors Semifinals

2/7/2026 8:42:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Ohio State captured team victory with four singles wins

COLUMBUS, Ohio –The No. 5 seed and No. 10-ranked Ohio State women's tennis team is on to the semifinals at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship after defeating No. 1 seed and No. 3-ranked North Carolina, 4-2, Saturday in Champaign, Ill.

The Buckeyes (4-0) will take on No. 3 seed and No. 2-ranked Texas A&M in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday in Evanston, Ill. It will be Ohio State's third appearance in the semifinals at National Indoors (2016, 17). The other semifinal features No. 2 seed and No. 1 ranked Georgia vs. No. 1 seed and No. 4 ranked Auburn at 4:30 p.m. ET Monday.

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In the quarterfinals, the Tar Heels (8-1) rolled to the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. In singles, Ohio State captured five of six first sets. Teah Chavez closed out her match in straight sets on court two to tie the match at one and Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev followed with a straight set win on court four. After a Tar Heel victory on court three, Audrey Spencer put the Buckeyes back ahead 3-2 with a win on court five.

The remaining two matches went to a third set. Buckeye freshman Hephzibah Oluwadare clinched the team victory, as she claimed her third set on court six, 6-1. The victory was her first collegiate dual singles win. Luciana Perry was serving up a break, 5-4, on court one when the match was sealed. The victory was the first for Ohio State over North Carolina all-time (1-5).

How it Happened

North Carolina won 6-2 on courts one and two for the doubles point.
The Buckeyes won five of the six first sets to swing momentum toward Ohio State.
On court two, No. 13-ranked Teah Chavez downed No. 7 Ange Oby Kajuru, 6-3, 6-2, breaking for the victory.
Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev, ranked No. 114, was a straight set winner against No. 51 Anna Frey on court four for a 2-1 Buckeye lead. Cisse-Ignatiev captured the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (4). In the second set, the Buckeye won the final four games for a 6-1 victory.
The Tar Heels' No. 21 Tatum Evans defeated No. 52 Nao Nishino in straight sets on court three to tie the team score at two.
Audrey Spencer, who clinched Friday's Round of 16 win, put the Buckeyes up 3-2 with a straight set victory against No. 71-ranked Alanis Hamilton on court five. Spencer broke to take the first set, 7-5. In the second set, Spencer broke for a 4-2 lead en route to a 6-3 victory.
The remaining two matches came down to a third set.
Buckeye freshman Hephzibah Oluwadare sealed the win, downing No. 90 Theadora Rabiman on court six. The freshman dropped just one game in the first set. In the second, the Tar Heel rallied from down 4-1 for a 6-4 win. In the third set, Rabiman held to open the set and Oluwadare did not lose a game after that, taking the set, 6-1, and the match. The victory was Oluwadare's first collegiate dual match win.
The court one match between No. 1 ranked Reese Brantmeier and No. 3 Luciana Perry, who were teammates with Team USA in December at the Master'U BNP Paribas Championship, was abandoned in the third set. Perry took the first set, 6-3, with the Tar Heel winning the second, 7-5. In the third, Perry broke for a 4-3 lead and was serving 5-4 when the team match was clinched.
Chavez and Spencer are both 2-0 in singles at ITA Indoors this weekend.

The Results
Ohio State vs North Carolina
2/7/2026 at Champaign, Ill.
(Atkins Tennis Center)

#10 Ohio State 4, #3 North Carolina 2

Singles competition
1. #1 Reese Brantmeier (UNC) vs. #3 Luciana Perry (OSU) 3-6, 7-5, 4-5, unfinished
2. #13 Teah Chavez (OSU) def. #7 Ange Oby Kajuru (UNC) 6-3, 6-2
3. #21 Tatum Evans (UNC) def. #52 Nao Nishino (OSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. #114 Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev (OSU) def. #51 Anna Frey (UNC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
5. Audrey Spencer (OSU) def. #71 Alanis Hamilton (UNC) 7-5, 6-3
6. Hephzibah Oluwadare (OSU) def. #90 Theadora Rabiman (UNC) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. #5 Ange Oby Kajuru/Susanna Maltby (UNC) def. #13 Hephzibah Oluwadare/Teah Chavez (OSU) 6-2
2. #6 Alanis Hamilton/Reese Brantmeier (UNC) def. #55 Luciana Perry/Flora Johnson (OSU) 6-2
3. Tatum Evans/Anna Frey (UNC) vs. Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev/Audrey Spencer (OSU) 4-4, unfinished

Match Notes:
Ohio State 4-0; National ranking #10
North Carolina 8-1; National ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,4,3,5,6)
ITA National Team Indoor Championship quarterfinals
UNC No. 1 seed, Ohio State No. 5
T-2:40 A-153