Friday, September 19
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Colorado
vs
Day 1
Buffs Start Strong at Bedford Cup
September 19, 2025 | Tennis
Three athletes head into the singles semifinals following first day of competition
COLORADO SPRINGS – The Colorado Buffalo women's tennis team showed out strong to begin play at the Bedford Cup this Friday, earning a total of 12 total victories on the day.
With a full day of competition, the Buffs charged through each bracket with two wins in doubles round one, and 10 singles victories in two rounds.
Starting the day in doubles, the Buffs split competition with their two wins and two losses. The first win of the morning went to freshman duo Lani Brotman and Yukiko Ikedo, who widened the gap to a 6-2 finish over close rivals of Colorado State, Dylan Voeks and Luana Avelar. This win secures their spot in Saturday's quarterfinals.
Following the win, Buffalo pair Pia Rebec and Heidi Crncan brought their match to a close finish, but ultimately fell to University of Idaho's Jessica Matthews and Valentina Rodas, 6-4.
Bringing Colorado another doubles victory was seniors Anya Nelson and Rixt van der Werff. In another match close to home, the pair faced Denver's Hana Becirovic Novak and Natalie Cinkova. The Buffs took the match 6-4, leading them to the quarterfinals as well.
In the last doubles match of the morning, Willow Gretsch paired up with Joselyn Limbago of Air Force to face Natali Jaiani and Remy Nguyen of Denver. Despite bringing the match to a close 6-6, Gretsch and Limbago took a 7-6 deficit against the Denver duo.
The Buffs finished the day out with their first two rounds of singles competition. In the round of 16, six of the seven Buffs captured a victory to move forward. Brotman, Nelson, and Crncan all made quick work of their matches, downing their opponents in straight sets.
As for Ikedo and van der Werff, both players took their opponents to a final set after creating close work of the first two. Ikedo faced Wyoming's Mashabayeva, taking the first set 6-3, and falling short in the second, 3-6. The freshman quickly picked the pace back up in the final third, to bring it home 6-3.
Despite being out the last seven months due to injury, van der Werff wasted no time stepping back into the game. Falling just short in the first set tiebreaker, the senior fought back to take the victory in a pair of 6-4 sets.
"It feels so great to stand healthy on the court," said van der Werff, "it immediately sets the tone for how the season is going to be. I had a tough time, came right back, and that's where we are now."
With six heading into the quarterfinals, three came out on the front side to enter the semifinals on Saturday. Brotman, Rebec, and Nelson will move forward, while Gretsch additionally fought to her first singles victory of the day on the backside.
Crncan, van der Werff, and Ikedo will continue play Saturday morning, beginning in the consolation semifinals.
Up Next
The Buffaloes will begin their second day of competition at the Bedford Cup on Saturday morning, with doubles main round starting at 9:15 a.m. (MT).
Results
Doubles
Blue Bracket
Matthews/Rodas (UI) def. Rebec/Crncan (CU), 6-4
Brotman/Ikedo (CU) def. Voeks/Avelar (CSU), 6-2
Red Bracket
Nelson/van der Werff (CU) def. Becirovic/Cinkova (DU), 6-4
Green Bracket
Jaiani/Nguyen (DU) def. Gretsch/Limbago (CU/AFA), 7-5
Singles
R16
Flight Alpha
Lani Brotman (CU) def. Terezia Mlkva (USU), 6-3, 6-1
Pia Rebec (CU) def. Marley Lambert (DU), 5-0, retired
Flight Bravo
Heidi Crncan (CU) def. Elena Daskalova (TT), 6-2, 6-2
Anya Nelson (CU) def. Hanna Koprowska (UI), 6-3, 7-5
Flight Charley
Rixt van der Werff (CU) def. Sydney Morris (ISU), 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-4
Flight Delta
12pm – Yukiko Ikedo (CU) def. Dilnaz Mashabayeva (UW), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Flight Echo / Main
Evelina Zhuk (ISU) def. Willow Gretsch (CU), 6-3, 6-4
QF
Lani Brotman (CU) def. Ella Brownback (TT), 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
Pia Rebec (CU) def. Violetta Borodina (UW), 6-3, 6-4
Anastasiia Kochelaevskaia (UW) def. Heidi Crncan (CU), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
Anya Nelson (CU) def. Annika Planinsek (CSU), 6-4, 6-4
Abigale Cotuna (USAFA) def. Rixt van der Werff (CU), Injury
Emmy Richards (ISU) def. Yukiko Ikedo (CU), 6-2, 6-2
R2
Willow Gretsch (CU) def. Remy Nguyen (DU), 6-1, 6-2
With a full day of competition, the Buffs charged through each bracket with two wins in doubles round one, and 10 singles victories in two rounds.
Starting the day in doubles, the Buffs split competition with their two wins and two losses. The first win of the morning went to freshman duo Lani Brotman and Yukiko Ikedo, who widened the gap to a 6-2 finish over close rivals of Colorado State, Dylan Voeks and Luana Avelar. This win secures their spot in Saturday's quarterfinals.
Following the win, Buffalo pair Pia Rebec and Heidi Crncan brought their match to a close finish, but ultimately fell to University of Idaho's Jessica Matthews and Valentina Rodas, 6-4.
Bringing Colorado another doubles victory was seniors Anya Nelson and Rixt van der Werff. In another match close to home, the pair faced Denver's Hana Becirovic Novak and Natalie Cinkova. The Buffs took the match 6-4, leading them to the quarterfinals as well.
In the last doubles match of the morning, Willow Gretsch paired up with Joselyn Limbago of Air Force to face Natali Jaiani and Remy Nguyen of Denver. Despite bringing the match to a close 6-6, Gretsch and Limbago took a 7-6 deficit against the Denver duo.
The Buffs finished the day out with their first two rounds of singles competition. In the round of 16, six of the seven Buffs captured a victory to move forward. Brotman, Nelson, and Crncan all made quick work of their matches, downing their opponents in straight sets.
As for Ikedo and van der Werff, both players took their opponents to a final set after creating close work of the first two. Ikedo faced Wyoming's Mashabayeva, taking the first set 6-3, and falling short in the second, 3-6. The freshman quickly picked the pace back up in the final third, to bring it home 6-3.
Despite being out the last seven months due to injury, van der Werff wasted no time stepping back into the game. Falling just short in the first set tiebreaker, the senior fought back to take the victory in a pair of 6-4 sets.
"It feels so great to stand healthy on the court," said van der Werff, "it immediately sets the tone for how the season is going to be. I had a tough time, came right back, and that's where we are now."
With six heading into the quarterfinals, three came out on the front side to enter the semifinals on Saturday. Brotman, Rebec, and Nelson will move forward, while Gretsch additionally fought to her first singles victory of the day on the backside.
Crncan, van der Werff, and Ikedo will continue play Saturday morning, beginning in the consolation semifinals.
Up Next
The Buffaloes will begin their second day of competition at the Bedford Cup on Saturday morning, with doubles main round starting at 9:15 a.m. (MT).
Results
Doubles
Blue Bracket
Matthews/Rodas (UI) def. Rebec/Crncan (CU), 6-4
Brotman/Ikedo (CU) def. Voeks/Avelar (CSU), 6-2
Red Bracket
Nelson/van der Werff (CU) def. Becirovic/Cinkova (DU), 6-4
Green Bracket
Jaiani/Nguyen (DU) def. Gretsch/Limbago (CU/AFA), 7-5
Singles
R16
Flight Alpha
Lani Brotman (CU) def. Terezia Mlkva (USU), 6-3, 6-1
Pia Rebec (CU) def. Marley Lambert (DU), 5-0, retired
Flight Bravo
Heidi Crncan (CU) def. Elena Daskalova (TT), 6-2, 6-2
Anya Nelson (CU) def. Hanna Koprowska (UI), 6-3, 7-5
Flight Charley
Rixt van der Werff (CU) def. Sydney Morris (ISU), 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-4
Flight Delta
12pm – Yukiko Ikedo (CU) def. Dilnaz Mashabayeva (UW), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Flight Echo / Main
Evelina Zhuk (ISU) def. Willow Gretsch (CU), 6-3, 6-4
QF
Lani Brotman (CU) def. Ella Brownback (TT), 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
Pia Rebec (CU) def. Violetta Borodina (UW), 6-3, 6-4
Anastasiia Kochelaevskaia (UW) def. Heidi Crncan (CU), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
Anya Nelson (CU) def. Annika Planinsek (CSU), 6-4, 6-4
Abigale Cotuna (USAFA) def. Rixt van der Werff (CU), Injury
Emmy Richards (ISU) def. Yukiko Ikedo (CU), 6-2, 6-2
R2
Willow Gretsch (CU) def. Remy Nguyen (DU), 6-1, 6-2
Players Mentioned
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