Buffs Win Two Matches in Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Two matches, two wins for the Colorado Buffaloes tennis team on the road at the IU Tennis Center here on Saturday. Colorado started with a 4-2 win over Indiana in the morning, followed up with a 4-0 defeat of Ball State to give the Buffs their best start since 2015.

After starting the season with five straight matches on the road, Colorado (8-1) has become quite accustomed to different road environments and today was no different. Starting with Indiana (4-7) in the morning, it took the Buffs a little time to settle into the match.

The doubles point, which has been a strength of the team thus far did not go Colorado's way to start the day. All three matches went down to the very end, but the ball bounced in the other direction leading to an early deficit for the Buffs.

After a rough doubles point, the Buffs settled in and started to rattle off singles wins starting with Aya El Sayed at the No. 1 spot. In her 98th overall win of her career, she calmly handled her opponent in straight sets for the first win of the morning.

Near seconds later Mila Stanojevic joined El Sayed cruising to another straight-set victory. This win extended Stanojevic's winning streak to seven matches and kept her undefeated in singles play this spring.

To close out the first match freshman Pia Rebec and transfer Alexandra Abyasova put the final touches with two wins. Rebec added another straight-set victory, while Abyasova put together a three-set win to clinch her first match as a Buff.

After a short break, Colorado retook the courts for its second match of the day against Ball State (2-4) and maintained the momentum from the match against Indiana.

After moving into the top 10 for wins by a doubles pairing, Stanojevic and Elys Ventura continued to climb up the ladder with a dominating win to start the second match, now holding the No. 9 spot all to themselves with 26 career wins together.

On the other side of the spectrum, after a little change to the lineup Abyasova and Anya Nelson took the courts for the very first time together at No. 3 doubles. Much like Stanojevic and Ventura, they dominated the match to clinch the doubles point for Colorado.

Singles brought a race to the finish to see who would clinch their match in time with five of the six spots winning the first set. In the end, it was Rebec, Stanojevic, and Abyasova all finishing within minutes of each other to clinch the match for the Buffs.

"Our team did a really good job today competing and finding a way to get the job done today," head coach Anthony Pham said on the day. "Playing a doubleheader against two good teams on the road is both mentally and physically draining and the team stepped up to meet the challenge. Very proud of our group. We look forward to another opportunity to get better tomorrow against IUPUI."

HOW IT HAPPENED (INDIANA)

In the first match of the day Indiana's L'allier and Lin gave Ema Bubalo and Nelson their first loss as a duo with a 7-5 defeat.
Trying to claw back for the doubles point El Sayed and Rebec came up short in a tiebreaker against Schneider and Teodosescu 7-6(3) to lose the doubles point and go down 1-0 early to the Hoosiers.
Stanojevic and Ventura's match at No. 2 doubles was left unfinished against Nihalani and Hovda after the doubles point was clinched.
After a tough loss in doubles, El Sayed regrouped and got the first win of the day for the Buffs with a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles over Lara Schneider to tie the match at one apiece.
Once the first win happened the rest started to come starting with Stanojevic at No. 3 singles. Despite having a little trouble closing the first set, she controlled the match the entire time finishing 6-3, 6-3 over Saby Nihalani to give the Buffs the lead 2-1.
At No. 6 singles, Rebec had full control in the first set against Sarah L'allier but had to battle in the second. The set finished in a tiebreaker after a few up-and-down games, but in the end, Rebec was able to come out on top with a 6-1, 7-6(4) win to put Colorado one match away from a clinch.
Indiana's Nicole Teodosescu got its lone singles win of the morning at No. 2 singles with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 over Ventura to shrink the lead down to 3-2 with two matches remaining.
With the match coming down to the wire, in the third set, Abyasova had already split the first two sets against Lene Mari Hovda, bringing it to the deciding third set. There Abyasova would jump out and command the courts standing with a 5-3 lead. The next game would go to Hovada, creeping back into the match. In the final game, Abyasova closed the door and clinched the match for the Buffs finishing the set 6-4.
Betina Tokac's match ended unfinished at No. 4 singles against Elisabeth Dunac after the match was clinched.

HOW IT HAPPENED (BALL STATE)

Unlike the morning match, Stanojeic and Ventura got the first win early in doubles with a dominating 6-1 effort over Shahbaz and Tanjuatco at No. 2 doubles.
At No. 3 doubles Abyasova and Nelson wasted no time clinching the doubles point, winning 6-1 over Hrehor and Pearsall.
El Sayed and Rebec's match at No. 1 doubles was left unfinished after the doubles point was clinched.
In her second win of the day, Rebec had no problem dispatching Jaqueline Pearsall at No. 6 singles 6-2, 6-2 to extend the lead to 2-0.
A minute later, Stanojevic added on with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of the Cardinal's Sydney Arehor at No. 3 singles to continue adding to her hot start to the spring season.
Much like the previous match, less than a minute later Abyasova joined Rebec and Stanojevic picking up her second win of the day with a 6-4, 6-1 match-clinching win over Ella Hazelbaker.

NOTES

The win over Ball State gives Colorado a record of 8-1, marking the best start since 2015.
This marks the first win against Indiana and moves the all-time record to 1-1.
In only the second time facing off against Ball State, the win moves the all-time record to 2-0. Both wins came on a neutral court.
Mila Stanojevic moves to 8-0 on the season in singles.
Aya El Sayed won her 98th overall match combining both singles and doubles in her career.
Mila Stanojevic and Elys Ventura move up to No. 9 all-time for wins by a doubles pair at Colorado.
Alexandra Abyasova won her first career doubles match at Colorado and remains undefeated at singles with a 3-0 record.

UP NEXT
The Buffs will look to finish up the three-match road trip undefeated tomorrow in Indianapolis, Ind. against IUPUI. Colorado will look to have its best start since 1997. The match will begin at 7:30 a.m. MT.

RESULTS
Colorado 4, Indiana 2
February 17, 2024
Bloomington, Ind. (IU Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Schneider/Teodosescu (IND) def. El Sayed/Rebec (CU) 7-6(3)
2. Stanojevic/Elys Ventura (CU) vs. Nihalani/Hovda (IND) 5-6, unf.
3. L'allier/Lin (IND) def. Bubalo/Nelson (CU) 7-5
Order of Finish: (3,1*)

Singles
1. Aya El Sayed (CU) def. Lara Schneider (IND) 6-2, 6-4
2. Nicole Teodosescu (IND) def. Elys Ventura (CU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
3. Mila Stanojevic (CU) def. Saby Nihalani (IND) 6-3, 6-3
4. Betina Tokac (CU) vs. Elisabeth Dunac (IND) 6-0, 6-7(6), 5-2, unf.
5. Alexandra Abyasova (CU) def. Lene Mari Hovda (IND) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
6. Pia Rebec (CU) def. Sarah L'allier (IND) 6-1, 7-6(4)
Order of Finish: (1,3,6,2,5*)

Colorado 4, Ball State 0
February 17, 2024
Bloomington, Ind. (IU Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. El Sayed/Rebec (CU) vs. Malykh/Hazelbaker (BSU) 3-3, unf.
2. Stanojevic/Ventura (CU) def. Shahbaz/Tanjuantco (BSU) 6-1
3. Nelson/Abyasova (COL) def. Hrehor/Pearsall (BSU) 6-1
Order of Finish: (2,3*)

Singles
1. Aya El Sayed (CU) vs. Elena Malykh (BSU) 6-2, 5-2, unf.
2. Elys Ventura (CU) vs. Sarah Shahbaz (BSU) 6-7, 0-3, unf.
3. Mila Stanojevic (CU) def. Sydney Hrehor (BSU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Betina Tokac (CU) vs. Isabele Tanjuantco (BSU) 6-4, 5-2, unf.
5. Alexandra Abyasova (CU) def. Ella Hazelbaker (BSU) 6-4, 6-1
6. Pia Rebec (CU) def. Jacqueline Pearsall (BSU) 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: (6,3,5*)

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Players Mentioned

Alexandra Abyasova

Ema Bubalo

Aya El Sayed

Anya Nelson

Pia Rebec

Mila Stanojevic

Betina Tokac

Elys Ventura