Buffs Drop Close Match To Rice, 4-3

Tuesday, March 13

Boulder, Colo.

12:00 PM

Colorado

Rice

Photo by: Roger Carry

March 13, 2018 | Tennis

Box Score

By: Ryan Megay, Graduate Assistant SID

BOULDER – The match came down to the third set of the final singles match, but the University of Colorado women's tennis team ran out of time, falling to the Rice Owls, 4-3, on Tuesday at the CU South Campus Tennis Courts.

"We were close, really close against a solid Rice team," said head coach Nicole Kenneally. "It went down to the wire again and Chloe [Hule] fought like a Rockstar, but just came up a little short. We have played three tough teams in five days and I am proud of how we continued to fight and compete even if we don't feel that we are playing as well as we would like."

The Buffs dropped to 8-4 on the season, while the Owls improved to 7-6.

In doubles, Rice and Colorado split the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches. Seniors Louise Ronaldson and Kyra Wojcik took down the Owls' Savannah Durking and Michaela Haet, 7-5, on No. 3, while sophomore Chloe Hule and junior Brigitte Beck saw their undefeated doubles season come to an end after falling to the 24^th-ranked doubles pairing of Wendy Zhang and Lindsey Hodge, 6-1, on No. 1.

The doubles point came down to court No. 2 between the doubles pairings of juniors Jeannez Daniel and Ilana Oleynik as well as Rice's Fernanda Astete and Priya Niezgoda. After playing to a score of 6-6, Daniel and Oleynik won the match, 7-6, with an 11-9 score in the tiebreaker.

Colorado has now won the doubles point in 10 of its 12 matches this season.

The Buffaloes were led in singles by Daniel and Ronaldson with each picking up wins. Daniel took down Haet, 7-6, 6-0 on court No. 3, while Ronaldson picked up a 7-6, 6-2 win over Durkin in No. 4 singles.

In the clinching match in No. 2 singles, Hule came up short to Zhang, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 in a marathon singles match that lasted approximately four hours.

"We have to take the positives from today, evaluate what we could have done better and then move on as we have Cal and Stanford this weekend," said Kenneally. "We will rest up a little and then be ready for Friday."

Colorado hits the road this coming weekend to take on the California Bears on Friday at 2:30 p.m. MT the Hellman Tennis Complex. On Saturday at 1:00 p.m. MT, CU will face off against the Stanford Cardinal at Taube Family Tennis Stadium; the match will be available to watch on streamingtennis.com.

March 13
CU South Campus Tennis Courts • Boulder, Colo.
Results
Doubles:
#24 Wendy Zhang/Lindsey Hodge (RU) def. Brigitte Beck/Chloe Hule (CU) 6-1
Jeannez Daniel/Ilana Oleynik (CU) def. Fernanda Astete/Priya Niezgoda (RU) 7-6 (9)
Louise Ronaldson/Kyra Wojcik (CU) def. Savannah Durkin/Michaela Haet (RU) 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2*

Singles:
Lindsey Hodge (RU) def. #113 Linda Huang (CU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Wendy Zhang (RU) def. Chloe Hule (CU) 6-7, 7-6, 7-5
Jeannez Daniel (CU) def. Michaela Haet (RU) 7-6, 6-0
Louise Ronaldson (CU) def. Savannah Durkin 7-6, 6-2
Anna Bowtell (RU) def. Kyra Wojcik (CU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
Priya Niezgoda (RU) def. Brigitte Beck (CU) 6-1, 6-3
Order of Finish: 6, 5, 3, 4, 1, 2*