Buffs Drop Tough Match to No. 20 Baylor

WACO, Texas – Colorado fell after a strong start to singles against No. 20 Baylor 4-2 as Buffalo's losing streak extends to six matches Friday night at the Hurd Tennis Center.

Colorado (6-7, 0-5 Big 12) responded after losing the doubles point for the first time in eight matches by winning the first set in all six singles positions against No. 20 Baylor (13-2, 4-1 Big 12) but the Bears won three-straight singles matches to clinch the match.

"As is our M.O., we fought our tails off again tonight against a top 20 team on the road," head coach Anthony Pham said. "We did so many good things but unfortunately wasn't able to close the deal on some courts. We will need this same type of effort and fight against a good TCU on Sunday."

Doubles action was highlighted by two tiebreakers against ranked pairings. The first went the Buff's way, with Bubalo and Rebec earning their first ranked win as a duo against the 89th-ranked duo Sierra Berry and Na Dong. The second was a narrow loss from Anya Nelson and Rixt van der Werff against the 15th-ranked pair Liubov Kostenko and Cristina Tiglea at No. 1 singles.

After losing the doubles point for only the third time this season, Colorado won the first set at every spot in singles for only the second time this season. Mila Stanojevic and Van der Werff won the first two singles matches, each with a score of 6-2, 6-3.

For Stanojevic, it was her 65^th career singles win, tied for the 23^rd most in CU history. That win also moved her to No. 19 in total career wins between doubles and singles with 126.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Baylor earned the first win of the day in doubles after Zuzanna Kubacha and Wenfei Yu got off to a fast start at No. 2 doubles. Lera Alexin and Stanojevic started to battle back, winning games to make it 5-3 but lost a deuce point, giving the Bears a 6-3 win.

Needing a win in doubles, Buablo and Rebec delivered against the 89th-ranked duo Berry and Dong. After leading 5-2, Baylor won four straight games to take a 6-5 lead. Bubalo and Rebec won the next game to force a tiebreaker where CU would win 7-6 (4).

In the final doubles match, Nelson and Van der Werff had the opposite of the previous match. After being down early, they fought back to force a tiebreaker against the 15th-ranked pair Kostenko and Tiglea at No. 1 doubles. In the tiebreaker, Baylor got out quickly and, despite a late effort from Nelson and Van der Werff, claimed the doubles point with a 7-6 (4) victory.

Van der Werff got the Buffs off to a fast start in singles against Kostenko at No. 2 singles. The two were locked at 2-2 before Van der Werff took the next four games to win the first set 6-2. Kostenko put up more resistance in the second set, but Van der Werff kept applying pressure, winning the first singles match of the day 6-2, 6-3 to tie the overall match 1-1.

At the top spot, Stanojevic took care of business against Tiglea. After they were tied 2-2, she rattled off four straight games to win the first set 6-2. The second set was similar to the first. Tiglea kept it close for a few games, but then Stanojevic closed the match with a 6-3 second set win to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.

Moving down the order, Betina Tokac won the first set against 85^th-ranked Dong at No. 3 singles 6-2 and was on pace to win the second set, up 5-4. Dong fended off a few match points before winning the next three games to force a third set. Tokac jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the final set before Dong finished the match, winning five straight games to tie the overall match 2-2.

At No. 4 singles, Bubalo followed the trend of the match, winning the first set, 6-4, against Kennedy Gibbs. In the second set, Gibbs used a 6-2 win to force a final set against Bubalo. There, Gibbs kept her momentum, getting out to a convincing 5-2 lead. Bubalo had no choice but to fight back, and she did, winning four straight games to take a 6-5 lead. Needing one more game, Bubalo kept going, taking a 40-30, needing one more point to clinch her match. Two incredible rallies that went Gibbs's way forced a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Gibbs controlled it, winning 7-6 (2), giving Baylor a 3-2 lead.

Rebec battled in the first set in the clinching match, winning 7-5 against Yu. She maintained her effort early in the second set with a 5-2 lead. Yu began to claw back, winning two straight games, but Rebec led 40-30 with two chances at match points. Yu took both and finished the match, winning the third set 6-1 to clinch the overall match for Baylor 4-2.

Alexin's match at No. 6 singles against Nanaka Sato was unfinished after the match was clinched. Alexin won the first set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (4) but lost the second set 7-5. She was beginning a comeback in the final set, winning the final two games before the match was clinched.

UP NEXT
Colorado will stay in Texas and retake the courts on Sunday against No. 44 TCU at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

RESULTS
No. 20 Baylor 4, Colorado 2
March 14, 2025
Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)

Doubles

No. 15 Liubov Kostenko/Cristina Tiglea (BU) def. Anya Nelson/Rixt van der Werff (CU) 7-6 (4)
Zuzanna Kubacha/Wenfei Yu (BU) def. Lera Alexin/Mila Stanojevic (CU) 6-3
Ema Bubalo/Pia Rebec (CU) def. No. 89 Sierra Berry/Na Dong (BU) 7-6 (4)

Order of Finish: (2,3,1*)

Singles

Mila Stanojevic (CU) def. Cristina Tiglea (BU) 6-2, 6-3
Rixt van der Werff (CU) def. Liubov Kostenko (BU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 85 Na Dong (BU) def. Betina Tokac (CU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Kennedy Gibbs (BU) def. Ema Bubalo (CU) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (2)
Wenfei Yu (BU) def. Pia Rebec (CU) 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
Lera Alexin (CU) vs. Nanaka Sato (BU) 7-6 (4), 5-7, 3-5, unf.

Order of Finish: (2,1,3,4,5*)

Next Event

Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Lera Alexin

Ema Bubalo

Anya Nelson

Pia Rebec

Mila Stanojevic

Betina Tokac

Rixt van der Werff