CLAREMONT, Calif. – Carmen Bufkin defeated Rebecca Suarez of Brandeis in a thrilling match in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Championships. A back-and-forth affair til the final point, Bufkin came out on top 6-3, 3-6, 7(7)-6(5).

Bufkin got off to a hot start, cruising 6-3 to claim the first set. She ran into some trouble in the second as Suarez fought back to take the second set 6-3.

The third set was filled with huge moments and momentum swings. Bufkin took the first two sets as Suarez made several unforced errors, nearly all of them landing inches away from the line.

Suarez quickly responded, but Bufkin continued to stay ahead as she found herself up 5-3 in the deciding set.

Suarez caught fire when she needed to, winning the next three sets to flip the script and gain a 6-5 advantage.

Bufkin recollected and responded to tie the set back up at 6, pushing the exhilarating opening round match to a tiebreak.

Up 6-5 in the tiebreak, Bufkin watched a Suarez forehand sail wide as she clinched the first NCAA Championships victory in her storied career at Cal Lutheran.

Bufkin has a quick turnaround to face Johns Hopkins's Jay Xiao in the Round of 16 later today. The match is expected to begin around or shortly after 1:30pm.

Xiao beat 7-seed Sylwia Mikos of UChicago 7-5, 6-3 earlier this morning.