Colorado
Washington State
Tennis Falls In Pac-12 Opener
March 07, 2014 | Tennis
PULLMAN, Wash. – In a battle of nationally ranked teams, the No. 53 Washington State Cougars won the doubles point, then took three of the next five singles slots to take a 4-2 win over the University of Colorado women's tennis in the Pac-12 opener for both schools.
The Cougars continue to roll through their 2014 slate winning their third straight, including 11 of their last 12 matches and improve to 13-2. CU, winners of four of their last six matches, fall to 7-5 overall and to 0-3 against WSU in Pac-12 play.
WSU goes ahead in the all-time series, 3-2 and drops the Buffs to 1-2 in matches played in Pullman, and 0-3 in Pac-12 openers.
“Unfortunately, we didn't play doubles the way we wanted to, but we fought hard and gave them a battle in the singles,” said CU head coach Nicole Kenneally. “Every match in the Pac-12 is tough, playing on the road in the conference is tough, but we'll learn from this and get ready for Oregon on Sunday."
The Buffaloes started off the doubles competition falling at the No. 1 (8-6) and No. 2 (8-1) positions.
Junior Julyette Steur and freshman Nuria Ormeño Ruiz secured points for the No. 60 ranked Buffaloes doing it the hard way, losing the first set in both matches, only to rebound to take their respective matches in three.
Steur upset the nation's No. 116 ranked singles player in the country defeating Elizaveta Luzina, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Steur won her team-best 10th match of the spring – all at No. 1 singles, in addition to her 16th match of the season. More impressively, she won her sixth straight, her fourth career match rallying from a set down to win and her ninth in three-set matches.
Ormeño Ruiz won her third match rallying from a set down edging Olga Musilovich, 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. Ormeño Ruiz has won 17 matches this season and her eighth in the spring. It was her fourth come-from-behind match, all this year.
CU continues conference play on the road taking on unranked Oregon on Sunday, March 9 at 11 a. m. (MT). After the Ducks, CU will face their next nine conference opponents, all ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Top-75 poll.
No. 53 Washington State 4, No. 60 Colorado 2
WSU (13-2, 1-0 Pac-12), CU (7-5, 0-1 Pac-12)
March 7, Pullman, Wash.
Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse
1d) Luzina/Leenknecht (WSU) def. Janssens/Ormeño Ruiz (CU) 8-6
2d) Biryukova/Musilovich (WSU) def. Aiello/Manzi Tenorio (CU) 8-1
3d) Koning/Ognjenovic (WSU) vs. Steur/Ashley Tiefel (CU) 7-3 (DNF)
Order of Finish: 1, *2
1s) Julyette Steur (CU) def. (116) Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
2s) Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Alexandra Aiello (CU) 7-5, 7-6(4)
3s) Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Winde Janssens (CU) 6-4, 7-5
4s) Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (CU) def. Olga Musilovich (WSU) 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4
5s) Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) vs. Carla Manzi Tenorio (CU) 4-6, 6-3, 0-1 (DNF)
6s) Charlotte Koning (WSU) def. Ashley Tiefel (CU) 6-2, 7-6(4)
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1, 4, *6
