Colorado
Texas Tech
Tennis Wins Fifth Straight, Defeats TTU
March 29, 2009 | Tennis
BOULDER ? Junior Camila Belassi clinched her fifth team victory of the spring season helping the University of Colorado tennis team to a 6-1 victory over the No. 68 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, Sunday afternoon at the Millennium Hotel Harvest House bubble.
The victory improves the Buffaloes to 9-5 overall and a school-best 5-0 to begin Big 12 Conference play, while the Red Raiders fall to 7-10 overall and 2-4 in the conference. It was also CU's fourth straight win over TTU and six of the last seven. CU has dominated the series in Boulder holding a 12-3 advantage.
The five straight victories marks the first time in school history a CU women's team completed an undefeated month of March.
“We expected a good battle from Texas Tech today,” said CU head coach Nicole Kenneally. “The doubles point was close even though the scores may not necessarily show it, and in singles, you're always going to have solid players. I'm proud of the girls in the way we have been playing and now we look forward to going to Texas next week.”
CU went into singles play with a 1-0 lead after sweeping the doubles point for the fifth time this season. Ania Anuszkiewicz and Franziska Jendrian broke a 2-2 tie in their respective No. 2 match then cruised to their fourth straight win with an 8-3 winner over Kerryn Potgieter and Stefanie Peana.
The home team then clinched the point when Camila Belassi and Melisa Esposito upset the nation's No. 43 ranked tandem and previously Big 12 unbeaten Samantha van der Drift and Kelsy Garland, 8-4 at the No.1 slot. Belassi/Esposito broke TTU's serve for a 3-2 lead, then increased the advantage to 5-2 subsequently winning 8-4.
The Buffaloes rounded out the sweep as Michala Hedelund Jensen and Abbie Probert also tallied their fourth straight win at No. 3 defeating Simone Templeton and Natalie Letich, 8-4.
CU quickly made it 3-0 behind a pair of straight set winners from sophomore Abbie Probert and junior Melisa Esposito at the No. 3 and No. 2 singles slots, respectively. Probert cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Simone Templeton for her fourth win in five matches, and Esposito won her fifth straight, all in the Big 12, rallying to defeat Kelsy Garland, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Esposito won her 20th singles match for the year.
Belassi then clinched the match winning her fourth straight match edging Samantha van der Drift (TTU) 6-3, 7-6(5) at the top singles position.
CU rounded out the scoring with senior Franziska Jendrian defeating Natalie Leitch in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2 for her team-leading 23rd victory of the year and 83rd career. Freshman Michala Hedelund Jensen defeated Kerryn Potgieter, 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 6 slot. It was Hedelund Jensen's second straight win and 12th of the year.
The Buffs take to the road over the next two weeks with trips to Texas (Apr. 3), Texas A&M (Apr. 5) and Missouri (Apr. 11).
Colorado 6, No. 68 Texas Tech 1
CU (9-5, 5-0 Big 12), (TTU (7-10, 2-4 Big 12)
March 29, Boulder, Colo.
Millennium Hotel Harvest House
1d) Belassi/Esposito (CU) def. (43) van der Drift/Garland (TTU) 8-4
2d) Anuszkiewicz/Jendrian (CU) def. Potgieter/Peana (TTU) 8-3
3d) Hedelund Jensen/Probert (CU) def. Templeton/Letich (TTU) 8-4
Order of Finish: 2,1*,3
1s) Camila Belassi (CU) def. Samantha van der Drift (TTU) 6-3, 7-6(5)
2s) Melisa Esposito (CU) def. Kelsy Garland (TTU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
3s) Abbie Probert (CU) def. Simone Templeton (TTU) 6-1, 6-0
4s) Franziska Jendrian (CU) def. Natalie Leitch (TTU) 6-4, 6-2
5s) Stefanie Peana (TTU) def. Ania Anuszkiewicz (CU) 6-4, 7-5
6s) Michala Hedelund Jensen (CU) def. Kerryn Potgieter (TTU) 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3,2,1*,4,6,5
Match Notes
- CU has swept the doubles point in three straight matches and is 7-1 this season when clinching the doubles point.
- Five-match winning streak matches a pair of five win streaks last year.
- Jendrian recorded her 25th Big 12 Conference doubles victory, tying for third overall at CU.
- Jendrian also won her CU school-record best 75th doubles victory.
- Esposito won her 18th Big 12 career match in doubles (tied-eighth) and tallied her 53rd career doubles (tied-13th place).
- Anuszkiewicz/Jendrian and Hedelund Jensen/Probert improved to 4-1 in Big 12 play.
- Esposito is 5-0 in Big 12 Conference singles play (2-0 at No. 1; 3-0 at No. 2)
- Jendrian is 61-32 in two-set career matches.
- Colorado is just outside of the Nation's Top 75, ranked at No. 76 prior to Sunday's win.
Players Mentioned
