Box Score WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State's upset bid came up just short Wednesday afternoon, as No. 6 Texas Tech held off the Shockers, 4-2, at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex.
Wichita State dropped a rare home match to fall to 5-7 on the season, while the Red Raiders picked up their 10th win of the season (10-3).
"It was a great opportunity to host a top 10 team," said Wichita State head coach
Colin Foster. "To win one doubles and two singles matches shows those players, and the team, that we are a very strong, capable team. Even on the courts we lost, I felt we made Texas Tech earn the matches. We didn't lay down or lose belief."
The doubles point came down to the wire between the two squads before Texas Tech came up with the clincher at No. 3.
Giulia Guidetti and
Marta Bellucco led the match, 5-4, before TTU's Alba Cortina-Pou and Alex Valenstein won the final three games to take the match, 7-5.
Wichita State got a win in No. 1 doubles from
Gabriela Porubin and
Fatima Bizhukova over TTU's 24th-ranked duo of Sabrina Federici and Sarah Dvorak, 7-5.
In singles play, the Red Raiders upped their lead to 2-0 in the match after winning No. 2 singles. The Shockers quickly tied it up at 2-2 with wins on courts No. 3 and No. 4.
Tanaporn Thongsing got the Shockers on the board first with a straight sets win at No. 3 over No. 109 Alex Valenstein, 6-1, 6-1. Thongsing reached 20 wins on the season, which leads the Shockers. Almost immediately after a victory at No. 3, Bizhukova tied up the match by taking down Sarah Dvorak in No. 4 singles, 6-1, 6-2.
Shortly thereafter Texas Tech received wins at No. 1 and No. 6 to clinch the win, 4-2.
Up Next
The Shockers begin a nine-match road trip beginning in Texas this weekend. Wichita State will visit Dallas to play SMU at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 10, and then to Denton to face North Texas on Sunday, March 12 at 11 a.m.
Match Results
Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex
#6 Texas Tech 4, Wichita State 2
Doubles Results
1. Bizhukova/Porubin (WSU) def. #24 Dvorak/Federici (TTU), 7-5
2. #48 Maltby/Talaba (TTU) def. Thongsing/Hsu (WSU), 6-1
3. Cortina-Pou/Valenstein (TTU) def. Bellucco/Guidetti (WSU), 7-5
Singles Results
1. #17 Gabriela Talaba (TTU) def. #117
Giulia Guidetti (WSU), 6-2, 6-2
2. #40 Felicity Maltby (TTU) def.
Gabriela Porubin (WSU), 6-1, 6-1
3.
Tanaporn Thongsing (WSU) def. #109 Alex Valenstein (TTU), 6-1, 6-1
4.
Fatima Bizhukova (WSU) def. Sarah Dvorak (TTU), 6-1, 6-2
5.
Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) vs. Sabrina Federici (TTU), 3-6, 0-3, unfinished
6. Katelyn Jackson (TTU) def.
Marija Mastilovic (WSU), 6-2, 6-1
Match Notes:
Wichita State: 5-7
Texas Tech: 10-3; National ranking #6
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,3,4,1,6)