The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Tennis Off to a Hot Start at Blue Gray Invitational
9/12/2025 | Women's Tennis
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Ole Miss women's tennis started its fall season in dominant fashion, after winning all six of its matches in the opening rounds of the Blue Gray Invitational on Friday.
Andrea Nova and Ichino Horikawa represented Ole Miss in the Blue Draw. The duo started off the weekend winning their doubles match 8-5 against Sabella Sambola and Alba Roche of Jacksonville State.
After their doubles win, Nova and Horikawa continued their success individually in singles. Nova defeated Sambola 6-3, 6-4, and Horikawa defeated Roche 6-1, 6-1.
Nova and Horikawa will move on to the semifinals of the Blue bracket, which will take place on Saturday at 9 a.m. The pair will once again reunite for doubles as they will go up against Georgia Tech's No. 62 pairing of Alejandra Cruz and Scarlett Nicholson. Before breaking up again to play singles.
In the Gray Draw, the Ole Miss pairing of Emily Welker and Riley Crowder defeated the pairing of Thessy Ntondele Zinga and Chiara Di Genova of Mississippi State, 8-4. In singles, Welker defeated Zinga, 6-2, 6-1. Crowder then won her first collegiate singles match in her home state after defeating Genova, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.
Welker and Crowder will reunite in doubles again in the Gray bracket on Saturday at 1 p.m. The pair will face off against the pairing of Natalie Outcalt of Auburn and Indi Patel of LSU.
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at @OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Roberts on Twitter, @gdrob91.
Doubles
Nova and Horikawa (Ole Miss) def. Isabella Sambola and Alba Roche (JSU) 8-5
Welker and Crowder (Ole Miss) def. Thessy Ntondele Zinga and Chiara Di Genova (MSU) 8-4
Singles
Nova (Ole Miss) def. Isabella Sambola (JSU) 6-3, 6-4
Horikawa (Ole Miss) def. Alba Roche (JSU) 6-1, 6-1
Welker (Ole Miss) def. Thessy Ntondele Zinga (MSU) 6-2, 6-1
Crowder (Ole Miss) def Chiara Di Genova (MSU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Players Mentioned
