Colorado
Wichita State
Tennis Drops First Match Of The Spring Season
February 06, 2015 | Tennis
WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Colorado tennis team won the doubles point for the fifth straight time and senior Julyette Steur claimed the lone singles point, however the host Wichita State Shockers rallied in singles play to defeat the Buffaloes, 5-2, Friday afternoon. CU dropped its first match of the spring falling to 4-1 on the season.
The Shockers, who have already played against three against nationally ranked schools, rallied in singles play after losing the doubles point. The home team won five of singles slots, two of them in three sets. WSU improves to 6-2 on the year and have now have won three straight.
The Shockers only loss was to No. 27 Pepperdine, 4-3 last month. It was also the first loss for the Buffs against Wichita State in six meetings. Last year in Boulder, CU upset the then-No. 54 Shockers, 4-2 last February at the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center.
“I'm proud of the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles and the way they came out and competed. Tina and Julyette did a great job closing out their match after being down match point, which was terrific,” said CU head coach Nicole Kenneally. “Their match left us in a good position going into singles.”
“Wichita State is a quality team; it's the type of a team we are going to see a lot of this season. With this group, the nice thing is, there is a honesty there, with where we are, and what we are doing. As we go down the through season, even though we're only five matches in, I hope to look back at this match, has a turning point. The lesson learned today, when you have your opportunities you have to take them, fight hard the entire time, first to the last point.”
Friday started off the same way it has in CU's previous four matches, winning the doubles point despite falling at the No. 3 slot. Senior Ashley Tiefel and junior Alex Aiello won their fifth straight match together, improving to 7-1 defeating Aleks Trifunovic and Luca Pump, 6-3. It was the first loss of the season in six matches for Trifunovic and Pump.
The Buffaloes clinched the doubles point at the No. 1 slot as Steur and freshman Tina Bokhua edged Rebecca Pedrazzi and Lucia Kovalova, 7-5. It was the third win in five spring matches for Bokhua and Steur.
In singles, both teams dueled against one another with three of the six matches going the distance. Steur, who won playing the No. 1 position last season, made it two-for-two, winning a three set match at No. 2, outlasting Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSU) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(2).
Steur has now won a team-best 11 in 13 outings this season, also won her 54th career match. It was also her 11th three-set career match win, and her singles and doubles wins on the day, gives the senior from Apeldoorn, Netherlands 100 combined victories, good enough for No. 25 place overall in school history.
Bokhua suffered her first loss since last November, falling at the top singles spot to Julia Schillar, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2. It was Bokhua's first loss in four matches at the top singles slot and is now 8-3 on the year; and Alex Aiello also lost a tough three-setter to Abby Stevens, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 4 slot. It was also Aiello's first loss since last November.
Colorado continues non-conference play Saturday at the Wichita Country Club taking on UMKC at 11 a.m. (MST).
No. 43 Wichita State 5, Colorado 2
WSU (6-2), CU (4-1)
Feb. 6, Wichita Country Club, Wichita, Kan.
1d) Bokhua/Steur (CU) def. Pedrazzi/Kovalova (WSU) 7-5
2d) Aiello/Ashley Tiefel (CU) def. Trifunovic/Luca Pump (WSU) 6-3
3d) Schiller/Porubin (WSU) def. Ormeño Ruiz/Wojcik (CU) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 2, *1
1s) Julia Schillar (WSU) def. Tina Bokhua (CU) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
2s) Julyette Steur (CU) def. Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSU) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(2)
3s) Gabriela Porubin (WSU) def. Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (CU) 6-1, 6-2
4s) Abby Stevens (WSU) def. Alex Aiello (CU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
5s) Lucia Kovalova (WSU) def. Kyra Wojcik (CU) 6-2, 7-5
6s) Aleks Trifunovic (WSU) def. Vitaliya Alkhovik (CU) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 1, *4, 2, 6
Players Mentioned
