CLAREMONT, Calif. – Carmen Bufkin was defeated by Jay Xiao of Johns Hopkins in the 2025 NCAA Championships Round of 16. Bufkin fell into an early hole and battled out of it, but she came up just short in the end. Xiao won 6-4, 6(3)-7(7), 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Bufkin and Xiao traded games early in the first set, though Xiao was eventually able to string a few together to take a 1-0 set lead.

It was looking like a quick two-set win for Xiao once she took a 4-1 lead in the second set, but Bufkin had other plans. Battling through cramps after a long day of travel and a gutsy opening-round, three-set tiebreak victory, Bufkin clawed back to tie Xiao at 5-5 before sending it into a tiebreak.

Bufkin struck swiftly in the tiebreak and rode the momentum to claim the second set after a 7-3 advantage.

Early in the third set, it seemed as if Bufkin may have ran out of gas after Xiao responded with a 2-0 lead. However, Bufkin again dug deep and tied it up at 4-4.

Xiao quickly broke the next game to go up 5-4, putting Bufkin in a tough spot to stay alive. Facing match point down 15-40, she was able to get one to drop.

Down 30-40 and looking to push to a deuce, Bufkin sent a forehand to the back corner, but the ref called the ball out by a hair, ending Bufkin's record-breaking career for the Regals in heartbreaking fashion.

Bufkin finishes her time at Cal Lutheran as the all-time program leader in career singles (53) and doubles (48) wins.