BOULDER, Colo. – No. 54 Wichita State fell 4-2 to Colorado Sunday at the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center at Millennium Harvest House in Boulder. Sunday's loss drops the Shockers to 8-3 on the year and also snaps an eight dual-match winning streak. Colorado improved to 6-3.
The Buffaloes won the first doubles match 8-2 when the team of Alexandra Aiello/Carla Manzi Tenorio defeated Rebecca Pedrazzi/Montse Blasco Fernandez (No. 9 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Central Doubles Rankings) of the Shockers. Julia Schiller/Abby Stevens (No. 7 in the ITA's Central Doubles Rankings) tied doubles play with an 8-3 victory over Colorado's Ashley Tiefel/Julyette Steur.
Veronika Blaskova/Lucia Kovalova clinched the doubles point and gave the Shockers the 1-0 lead in the dual-match after they defeated Winde Janssens/Nurla Ormeno Ruiz (No. 5 in the ITA's Mountain Doubles Rankings) 8-4.
Steur (No. 8 in the ITA's Mountain Singles Rankings) defeated Schiller 6-3, 6-2 to tie the dual-match at one apiece. Next, Janssens beat Kovalova 6-3, 7-6(3) to give the Buffaloes a 2-1 match lead over the Shockers. Pedrazzi then tied the dual-match once again with her 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Aiello.
After Pedrazzi evened the dual-match at two apiece, the Buffaloes won the remaining played matches. Ormeno Ruiz earned a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory against Stevens to give Colorado a 3-2 dual-match lead. Tiefel later clinched the dual-match by winning her match over Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul 6-1, 7-6(4).
Shocker head women's tennis coach Colin Foster gave the Buffaloes all of the credit for winning the match.
“All the credit goes to Colorado,” Foster said. “We gave it a great effort. We didn't capitalize on a few opportunities here and there, but for the most part, it was because Colorado rose to the occasion in those moments.”
No. 54 Wichita State's next two dual-matches will take place next weekend as they compete at No. 60 Kansas on Friday, Feb. 28 (3 p.m.) and at No. 29 Oklahoma State on Sunday, March 2 (1 p.m.).
-WICHITA STATE-
Colorado 4, #54 Wichita State 2
Singles Competition
1. Julyette Steur (COLO) def. Julia Schiller (WSUW) 6-3, 6-2
2. Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSUW) def. Alexandra Aiello (COLO) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. Winde Janssens (COLO) def. Lucia Kovalova (WSUW) 6-3, 7-6 (3)
4. Nuria Ormeno Ruiz (COLO) def. Abby Stevens (WSUW) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
5. Carla Manzi Tenorio (COLO) vs. Montse B. Fernandez (WSUW) 6-2, 3-2, unfinished
6. Ashley Tiefel (COLO) def. S. Mahajaroenkul (WSUW) 6-1, 7-6(4)
Doubles Competition
1. Veronika Blaskova/Lucia Kovalova (WSUW) def. Winde Janssens/Nuria Ormeno Ruiz (COLO) 8-4
2. Alexandra Aiello/Carla Manzi Tenorio (COLO) def. Montse B. Fernandez/Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSUW) 8-2
3. Julia Schiller/Abby Stevens (WSUW) def. Ashley Tiefel/Julyette Steur (COLO) 8-3
Match Notes:
Wichita State 8-3; National ranking #54
Colorado 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,3,2,4,6)
