Colorado
Oklahoma
Tennis Falls To No. 18 Oklahoma, 7-0
March 13, 2011 | Tennis
"Oklahoma is a great team, it is one of their best teams in the last decade," said Colorado head coach Nicole Kenneally. "We knew it was going to be a tough battle, but I think with matches like that you can learn a lot as well. I think all of our players, but especially a couple of our freshman got a lot out of that match. I think that will help them to continue to catapult forward."
The victory is the third straight for Oklahoma, improving its record to 9-2 overall, 1-0 in league play. Colorado has lost its last four matches, dropping its spring season record to 3-7, 0-1 in the Big 12.
Oklahoma took the early 1-0 lead after winning all three doubles matches. The Sooners took the early advantage in doubles play with Maria Kalashnikova and Tara Eckel defeating freshmen Winde Janssens and Carla Manzi Tenorio 8-4 in No. 3 doubles. Junior Ania Anuszkiewicz and freshman Kristina Schleich battled back from three points down to tie the No. 2 doubles match at six points apiece, but Whitney Ritchie and Mia Lancaster held serve by winning the next point, and then broke CU in match point for the 8-6 win. In No. 1 doubles, Colorado seniors Abbie Probert and Michala Hedelund Jensen played Alice Radu and Marie-Pier Huet tough all match long, but just like at No. 2 doubles, OU won the last two points to grab the 8-6 victory and the sweep of the doubles point.
In singles play, Colorado wasn't able to keep up with Oklahoma as the Sooners won all six matches while not dropping a set. Colorado's best chance to get a singles win came in the final match of the day at No. 4 singles, in which Tenorio and Lancaster played a back-and-forth first set. Tenorio jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Lancaster battled back to force the set into a tiebreaker. Lancaster won the tiebreak 7-3, and used that momentum to then take the second set, 6-1.
The Buffaloes will now travel to the Lone Star State for their next two matches against No. 27 Texas A&M on Mar. 18 and No. 24 Texas on Mar. 20. CU's next home match will be on Mar. 27 against Iowa State.
"Every match this year that we have in the Big 12 is going to be tough," Kenneally said of the Buffs' upcoming matches in Texas. "All of the teams are good. There is a lot of depth in the conference right now and we're excited to take everyone on."
No. 18 Oklahoma 7, Colorado 0
OU (9-2, 1-0), CU (3-7, 0-1)
Sunday, March 13, South Campus Courts, Boulder, Colo.
1d) Radu/Huet (OU) def. Probert/Jensen 8-6
2d) Ritchie/M. Lancaster (OU) def. Anuszkiewicz/Schleich 8-6
3d) Kalashnikova/Tara Eckel (OU) def. Janssens/Manzi Tenorio 8-4
Order of Finish: 3, *2, 1
1s) Alice Radu (OU) def. Kristina Schleich 6-3, 6-4
2s) (124) Whitney Ritchie (OU) def. Abbie Probert 6-2, 6-1
3s) Marie-Pier Huet (OU) def. Michala Hedelund Jensen 6-3, 6-4
4s) Mia Lancaster (OU) def. Carla Manzi Tenorio 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
5s) Maria Kalashnikova (OU) def. Winde Janssens 6-4, 6-3
6s) Tara Eckel (OU) def. Ania Anuszkiewicz 6-0, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 2, *1, 5, 3, 4
Players Mentioned
