Colorado
Final
Steur & Wojcik USTA/ITA Mountain Region Champions
October 19, 2014 | Tennis
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It's been a week of firsts for the University of Colorado women's tennis program as senior Julyette Steur and freshman Kyra Wojcik won the USTA/ITA Mountain Regional Round of 64 final, Sunday morning at the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium on the University of New Mexico campus.
The doubles regional title win is the first in school history.
Steur and Wojcik won the doubles title by default, defeating top seed Mayci Jones and Toby Miclat of BYU in a walk-over. BYU withdrew from the final because of the school's No Sunday Play Rule.
With the win, Steur and Wojcik earn the Mountain Region Champion automatic berth to the 2014 USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships, Nov. 8-10 in Flushing, N.Y. Hosted by Columbia University, this prestigious event features a 32-player singles draw and a 20-team doubles draw.
“I'm really proud of Julyette and Kyra, since this was their first time playing together,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “We're excited for the opportunity to play against the best doubles teams in the country in New York City; it's a great opportunity and experience for both of them.”
It will be Steur's and Wojcik's first trip to the Big Apple and CU's first-ever trip to the national indoors.
“I had a good feeling going into the tournament,” Steur said. “I thought we improved with every match and played very well together. We have a very good connection with each other, when we're on the court.”
The doubles bracket wasn't the only successful play for Steur and Wojcik this past week at the regional tournament.
Wojcik reached the Round of 32 singles and achieved a 3-1 record during the week (she played an extra consolation singles match). Steur reached the Round of 16 for the second consecutive fall season (Las Vegas last year).
“I wasn't expecting much,” Wojcik said of her first collegiate tournament playing singles and doubles. “I just wanted to do the best that I could. We just clicked and worked very well with one another in tough situations. We also communicated well; Julyette was the leader out there (on the court), she encouraged me.”
Playing as teammates for the first time this week, Steur and Wojcik, winners of five-straight matches, defeated two schools seeded higher over the five-day tournament.
In addition to defeating the top seeded pair, the Buffaloes also edged the ninth seed from Utah, Sarah Richter and Luisa Gerstner Da Rosa, in Saturday's semifinal in a thrilling 3-6, 6-3, 13-11 victory.
“Overall, it was a great (Mountain Region) tournament and happy the way we competed,” added Kenneally. “Everyone played a lot of solid matches and it was definitely one of the best regional events in the last few years we competed in."
The last time a CU pair advanced this far at the regional tournament occurred in 2009 when seniors Camila Belassi and Melisa Esposito reached the semifinal round where they fell to a BYU pair (BYU also withdrew from the 2009 final because of the No Sunday Play Rule).
CU is idle this week and will compete at the North Texas Wild West Shootout on Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Denton, Texas.
2014 USATA/ITA Mountain Regional Championships
Albuquerque, N.M./University of New Mexico
Finals: Sunday, Oct. 19
(11) Julyette Steur/Kyra Wojcik (CU) def. (1) Mayci Jones/Toby Miclat (BYU) by default
Semifinals: Saturday, Oct. 18
(11) Julyette Steur/Kyra Wojcik (CU) def. (9) Sarah Richter/Luisa Gerstner Da Rosa (Utah) 3-6, 6-3, 13-11
Quarterfinals: Friday, Oct. 17
(11) Julyette Steur/Kyra Wojcik (CU) def. Sheila Morales/Clarisse Treand (Nevada) 8-5
Round of 16
(11) Julyette Steur/Kyra Wojcik (CU) def. Christina Gecheva/Jessica Parizher (Wyoming) 8-6
Round of 32: Thursday, Oct. 16
(11) Julyette Steur/Kyra Wojcik (CU) def. Natalie Heffron/Adriana Wojakowska (Colorado State) 8-2
Round of 64: Wednesday, Oct. 15
(11) Julyette Steur/Kyra Wojcik (CU) first round bye
Players Mentioned
