Colorado
Arizona
Buffs Stun No. 59 Arizona For First Pac-12 Win
March 13, 2016 | Tennis
BOULDER – Seeking its first Pac-12 win of the young conference schedule, the University of Colorado women's tennis team pulled off a huge upset against the No. 59 University of Arizona Wildcats coming back from dropping the doubles point and winning the match 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at the South Campus Tennis Complex.
The win was CU's first conference win of the season and it improves the Buffs record to 6-7 (1-1 Pac-12). Arizona's record drops to 9-7 (0-4 Pac-12).
It was CU's first win against a ranked opponent since it beat the then ranked No. 67 University of Denver Pioneers 4-3 on April 3, 2015. And it was the Buffs' first win against a ranked Pac-12 opponent since they defeated the then ranked No. 59 Oregon Ducks 5-2 on March 29, 2013.
“We've been talking the last few weeks about how we are emotionally and psychologically on the court,” said CU head coach Nicole Kenneally. “We talked about keeping our focus in the right place, throughout the process of the match and not getting down on ourselves. Today we got over the bump and the girls really got to see what the benefits of rallying as a team are. They learned how to keep their heads up, and how to take the drama out of it and just thinking about what I'm going to do next, whether I win a point or I don't.”
Doubles play began positively for the Buffs as all three teams won their first games respectively. But the Wildcats shook off the travel rust and would come back to take the doubles point 2-0.
The first win came at the number three spot, when the CU doubles team of freshman Brigitte Beck and senior Alex Aiello dropped their match against the UA team of sophomore Devin Chypyha and freshman Camila Wesbrooks 6-2. The Buffs women won the first two games in the set, but were unable to hold the early lead and the Wildcat team roared back to win six straight games for the win.
Clinching the doubles point for UA with a final score of 6-2, were the nationally-ranked No. 47 tandem of junior Lauren Marker and senior Shayne Austin, playing the number one spot against CU's pair of sophomore Jeannez Daniel and freshman Annabelle Andrinopoulos.
The Buffs pair is quickly becoming CU's go to at the number one spot, and facing the ranked team was no easy task. The first two games were traded between the teams, but the Wildcat women showed why they earned the ranking and didn't let the two Buffs women get back into the match, winning every game except one after those first two games.
The Buffs trailed entering singles play, but it was in singles play that CU showed its determination. Needing four of the six matches, the Buffs women took the four they needed to complete the comeback.
Getting CU back on track in the third slot was Aiello's win against UA's Wesbrooks in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Aiello's only difficulties in the match came in the first set when she had set point twice before winning the set. In the second Aiello never let Wesbrooks get anywhere near her advantage and she settled things easily for the Buffs first point of the day.
“You know at this point when you looked down the line we were competing in every match,” said Kenneally. “And that's the first thing you need to do, put yourself in a position to compete.”
UA didn't go away without a fight and in the fifth spot they got another point from CU, when junior Samantha Czarniak defeated sophomore Kyra Wojcik in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. The loss for CU set up a stressful end to the match for both teams.
The turning point in the match, and the biggest win of the day for the Buffs came at the number one spot when junior Nuria Ormeño Ruiz defeated nationally-ranked No. 27 Lauren Marker in three sets 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
The win brings Ormeño Ruiz's record on the year to 19-6 and she is 4-1 playing the number one spot. It was Ormeño Ruiz's first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since she beat Utah's then-ranked No. 62 Tereza Bekerova at the 2013 ITA Mountain Regionals.
Ormeño Ruiz entered the third and final set after dropping the second set 1-6. Marker came out to start the third set snagging a quick 2-0 lead. But Ormeño Ruiz, having played and lost to Marker twice in the past two seasons, wasn't ready to drop a third match to Marker. She fought back and tied it at three all. From here Ormeño Ruiz showed her trademark passion and flair for the dramatic as she shut Marker down for the remainder of the match and took the final four games to win the set and the match.
“It's the third year in a row I've played Marker and I knew that this year was going to be the year for me against her,” said Ormeño Ruiz. “I talked to (assistant coach Blake Mosley) and saw that Alex had won, so I knew that I couldn't lose and that I was going to win. It feels great for us to get a Pac-12 win against Arizona.”
Another battle was taking place at the number four position, and it was Andrinopoulos, playing her second three-set match of the weekend, who would come away victorious completing her own personal comeback against UA's Chypyha 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. It was Andrinopoulos's first Pac-12 win of her short career.
After dropping the first set, Andrinopoulos almost let Chypyha sneak up on her in the second set allowing for a four all tie after leading 4-1. But she wouldn't let Chypyha steal the match from her winning the last two games to force a third and deciding set. The third set lacked the drama of the second set, as Andrinopoulos won the last four games to take the set and the match.
Only needing one more point to complete the comeback, CU got their clinching point at the number two position in the form of Daniel beating UA's Austin 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. This was Daniel's first Pac-12 win and she is 2-1 since taking over the number two slot in the lineup.
The first set was a back and forth affair and it needed a tiebreaker to settle things. Daniel gave Austin no chance in the tiebreaker winning six straight points in the heart of the breaker to settle the first set.
As attention turned to the match, Daniel didn't wilt under the pressure as she took the first three games to set the tone for the set. And after letting Austin fight back to a three-all tie, Daniel focused in on her goal and won three of the last four games to take the match.
With that final point the Buffs rushed Daniel on the court and the celebration began.
“It's a great feeling that I'm still trying to process,” said Daniel. “I didn't even realize that I was the clinching point until the girls ran out onto the court and hugged me. It feels great to help our team get a win against a ranked team. I think the key for me was staying mentally tough and stable, focusing on the next point instead of looking at the score and attempting to project what's going to happen.”
Attention then turned to the last match still going on at the number six spot. CU's Beck dropped her match against fellow freshman Sophia Thomas 7-6(8-6), 6-4. The drama taken out of the team match, Beck attempted to force a third set after dropping the first in a tough tiebreaker. But she was unable to finish the second set after bringing it to a three-all tie and eventually dropped the match.
“Obviously winning in the Pac-12 is tough on the road,” said Kenneally. “So I think everyone in the Pac-12 loves to take one at home. It's a nice push for us heading into next weekend, but at the end of the day it's still played in-between the lines. As we go on the road we are looking to take down someone on the road and take one or two.”
CU takes to the road for its next three matches looking to continue their early success in the Pac-12. They head to Washington (3/18), Washington State (3/20), and California (3/26). The Buffs women return to home on April 1, when UCLA makes the trip to Boulder. Make sure you follow twitter and CUBuffs.com for updates.
Colorado 4, No. 59 Arizona 3
March 13, 2016 at Boulder, Colo. (South Campus Tennis Complex)
Singles
1. Ormeño Ruiz, Nuria (CU) def. No. 27 Marker, Lauren (UA) 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
2. Daniel, Jeannez (CU) def. Austin, Shayne (UA) 7-6(4), 6-4
3. Aiello, Alex (CU) def. Wesbrooks, Camila (UA) 6-4, 6-3
4. Andrinopoulos, Annabelle (CU) def. Chypyha, Devin (UA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. Czarniak, Samantha (UA) def. Wojcik, Kyra (CU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Thomas, Sophia (UA) def. Beck, Brigitte (CU) 7-6(2), 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 1, 4, 2*, 6
Doubles
1. No. 47 Marker, Lauren/Austin, Shayne (UA) def. Daniel, Jeannez/Andrinopoulos, Annabelle (CU) 6-2
2. Ormeño Ruiz, Nuria/Wojcik, Kyra (CU) v Czarniak, Samantha/Hendrikx, Inge (UA) DNF
3. Chypyha, Devin/Wesbrooks, Camila (UA) def. Beck, Brigitte/Aiello, Alex (CU) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1*
Players Mentioned
