Colorado Falls Short at No. 14 Arizona State

Sunday, April 5

Tempe, AZ

1 p.m.

Colorado

Arizona State

April 05, 2026 | Tennis

Box Score Donate to Tennis

By: Teagan Schreiber, Athletic Communications Student Assistant

TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 65 Colorado Buffaloes tennis team fought tough in the final road match-up against No. 14 Arizona State but fell short, 4-0, Sunday at the Whiteman Tennis Center.

Colorado now holds an overall record of 10-11 and a 2-9 mark in the Big 12. Arizona State improves to 17-4 this season, and 9-2 in conference.

"I thought we played another very good doubles point," said head coach Anthony Pham. "Unfortunately, we had a couple of things not go our way in the tiebreaker at No. 3 doubles, and that was the difference. We just didn't get it done in singles, and I give credit to Arizona State."

Despite a tough loss in singles and doubles competition, the Buffs found a prominent win in doubles at the No. 2 position from Aya El Sayed and Yukiko Ikedo.

The duo downed Emilija Tverijonaite and Aiya Nupbay, fighting all the way to a 6-6 tie, then won the tiebreaker, 7-6 (3).

El Sayed, with the win, marked her 100^th as a Buff. She now sits with 56 singles and 44 doubles victories. She is just the 33^rd player to hit 100 overall wins at Colorado and only the seventh since 2010.
Ikedo, the freshman, marked the 17th career victory of her career.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Sun Devils captured the first doubles match at the top position, with Vivian Ovrootsky and Lily Taylor finding a 6-3 finish over Lera Alexin and Rixt van der Werff.

The Buffs got on the board at No. 2 from El Sayed and Ikedo's win over Emilija Tverijonaite and Aiya Nupbay, 7-6 (3). The duo led the match to a tie, then captured the tiebreaker. Not only did the win keep the Buffs in doubles competition, but it marked El Sayed's 100th career victory at Colorado.

Arizona State quickly came back in the final match, despite Ema Bubalo and Anya Nelson leading the way to a 6-6 tie. Zlata Bartanusz and Sarang Lim captured the tiebreaker 7-6 (5), finishing doubles play in favor of the Sun Devils.

Beginning singles, No. 26 Tverijonaite found a 6-1, 6-4 victory against El Sayed, bringing the Sun Devils to 2-0 as a team.

Lim found a third point for Arizona State at No. 6 against Heidi Crncan, 6-3, 6-2, widening the gap for Colorado at 3-0.

The Sun Devils sealed the win at No. 2 with a win against Van der Werff, courtesy of Ovrootsky in a 6-2, 6-3 straight set.

The three-match victory made for three additional unfinished matches at 3, 4, and 5. At No. 3, Taylor led Lani Brotman 6-4, 5-3, going unfinished just before the final point.

Between Nupbay and Alexin at No. 4, Nupbay led Alexin in the second, 4-3, following a 6-2 first set finish.

At No. 5, Nelson fell short in the first set against Bartanusz, 6-4, and trailed 3-0 in the second set.

"We have our last 2 home matches next weekend, and we want to make sure we honor and send out our seniors the way they deserve," said Pham. "My belief in this group has not changed, and I know we will find a way to bounce back on Thursday."

UP NEXT
The Buffs head home to finish regular-season competition this week with a pair of Texas opponents. Colorado faces Baylor on Thursday, followed by a senior celebration on Saturday against TCU as part of AT&T Black and Gold Day. More information and live results can be found @cubuffstennis.

RESULTS
Doubles

Vivian Ovrootsky/Lily Taylor (ASU) def. Lera Alexin/Rixt van der Werff (CU), 6-3
Aya El Sayed/Yukiko Ikedo (CU) def. Emilija Tverijonaite/Aiya Nupbay (ASU), 7-6 (3)
Zlata Bartanusz/Sarang Lim (ASU) def. Ema Bubalo/Anya Nelson (CU), 7-6 (5)

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles

No. 26 Emilija Tverijonaite (ASU) def. Aya El Sayed (CU), 6-1, 6-4
Vivian Ovrootsky (ASU) def. Rixt van der Werff (CU), 6-2, 6-3
Lily Taylor (ASU) vs. Lani Brotman (CU), 6-4, 5-3, unf.
Aiya Nupbay (ASU) vs. Lera Alexin (CU), 6-2, 4-3, unf.
Zlata Bartanusz (ASU) vs. Anya Nelson (CU), 6-4, 3-0, unf.
Sarang Lim (ASU) def. Heidi Crncan (CU), 6-3, 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 6, 2

NOTES

El Sayed and Ikedo hit three victories as a duo at No. 2.
The doubles victory from El Sayed and Ikedo marked El Sayed's 100th career victory as a Buff, and 44th win in doubles competition alone.
In her college career, she has recorded 139 victories, including while at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.