Buffaloes Comeback Falls Short Against No.30 Washington

SEATTLE – The University of Colorado women's tennis team fell just short of a comeback against No.30-ranked Washington here Sunday afternoon, losing by a score of 4-2.

The Huskies (11-3, 2-0 Pac-12) took the first three points of the match before Colorado (8-6, 0-2 Pac-12) responded with back-to-back wins to come within a point of tying the match. Washington clinched the match as Nika Zupancic defeated Megan Forster 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the No.5 singles match.

A pair of freshmen gave CU a chance as Maria Campos picked up the first team point 6-3, 7-5 against Zoey Weil in the No.6 singles match. Sophia Derivan took the No.4 singles match against Katarina Kopcalic by a score of 6-3, 6-4 to give Colorado a fighting chance at the comeback.

Another freshman, Antonia Balzert, had a huge second set win in the No.3 singles match against Sedona Gallagher. Down one set to none after a first set score of 6-3, Balzert took the second set with a tiebreaker game where she took the win seven points to three. She was down 3-2 in the third set when the match was clinched.

Washington showed its strength early after Zupancic and Delara Zamani clinched the doubles point against Ky Ecton and Derivan 6-4 in the No.2 doubles match. Weil and Gallagher took the first match with Forster and Balzert in the No.3 doubles match by a score of 6-2. No.59-ranked Vanessa Wong and Natsuho Arakawa were up 5-2 against No.64 Monica Malinen and Sara Nayar in the No.1 doubles match when the point was clinched. Both No.1 doubles teams split and battled in the No.1 and No.2 singles matches as Wong defeated Malinen 6-1, 6-2 in the No.1 match while Arakawa defeated Nayar 6-3, 6-2.

Colorado returns home for the conference opener against Arizona State Friday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m.

Singles
1. #75 Vanessa Wong (Wash) def. Monica Malinen 6-1, 6-2
2. Natsuho Arakawa (Wash) def. Sara Nayar 6-3, 6-2
3. Sedona Gallagher (Wash) vs. Antonia Balzert 6-3, 6-7(3), 3-2, unfinished
4. Sophia Derivan (COLO) def. Katarina Kopcalic 6-3, 6-4
5. Nika Zupancic (Wash) def. Megan Forster 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
6. Maria Campos (COLO) def. Zoey Weil 6-3, 7-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 6, 4, 5

Doubles
1. #59 Vanessa Wong/Natsuho Arakawa (Wash) vs. #64 Monica Malinen/Sara Nayar 5-2, unfinished
2. Nika Zupancic/Delara Zamani (Wash) def. Ky Ecton/Sophia Derivan 6-4
3. Zoey Weil/Sedona Gallagher (Wash) def. Megan Forster/Antonia Balzert 6-2

Order of finish: 3, 2

Buffaloes Comeback Falls Short Against No.30 Washington

Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Antonia Balzert

Maria Campos

Sophia Derivan

Ky Ecton

Megan Forster

Monica Malinen

Sara Nayar