Team may end up in NCAA Tourney for first time since 2003
If the CU’s women tennis players continue to heat up with the weather, they might end up in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.
The Buffs, ranked No. 30 in the country, fought back after losing the doubles point and defeated the 43rd-ranked Oklahoma State University Cowboys by a final score of 4-3. CU freshman Camila Belassi won the deciding point for the Buffs, defeating OSU’s Yawna Allen 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
TENNIS STATS
No. 30 Colorado 4, No. 43 Oklahoma State 3
CU (9-3, 5-0 Big 12), OSU (6-2, 2-2 Big 12)
March 10, CU-Boulder South Campus Tennis Courts
1d) Allen/Shatkovskaya (OSU) def. Belassi/Torres Torres 8-3
2d) Jendrian/Milewski (CU) def. Simmons/Tkachenko 8-2
3d) Tsivka/Poskitt (OSU) def. Victoria Almagno/Martina Sedivec 8-3
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
1s) Monica Milewski (CU) def. Iryna Tkachenko 6-3, 6-3
2s) Camila Belassi (CU) def. Yawna Allen 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3s) Veera Nurmi (CU) def. Nataliya Shatkovskaya 6-4, 6-0
4s) Franziska Jendrian (CU) def. Lauren Simmons 6-4, 6-4
5s) Marta Tsivka (OSU) def. Gleisy Torres Torres 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4
6s) Jennifer Poskitt (OSU) def. Martina Sedivec 6-2, 4-6, 6-0
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 6, 4, 2, 5
“I have never clinched a match for CU before,” Belassi said. “It feels really good.”
With the victory over the conference rival, the Buffs improve to 5-0 in Big 12 Conference play.
In No. 1 singles play, CU sophomore Monica Milewski continued her dominance, winning her seventh-straight match. Milewski beat Iryna Tkachenko in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
In doubles action, Milewski teamed up with fellow sophomore Franziska Jendrian to win the only doubles match for the Buffs.
“We have been working really hard this whole year,” Milewski said. “I had no idea I have won so many in a row, but hopefully I can keep that up.”
The Buffs now stand at 9-3 overall at midseason. They are entering a tough part of the schedule, in which they face a ninth-ranked opponent in William and Mary at home on Wednesday, before going on the road for the next seven matches. Head coach Nicole Kenneally said she is happy with how the season has gone so far.
“I am extremely proud of the girls,” Kenneally said. “We have had a good start to the season, and I told them yesterday that this match was going to be the toughest one of the year so far. And it really was.”
Coach Kenneally was extremely pleased with the team’s ability to fight back from adversity after losing the often-crucial doubles point.
This was the first match of the season on the outdoor courts, and the change of venue, from indoors to outdoors, made this match that much more difficult.
“This was our fourth day outside, and it is always tough to make the transition,” Kenneally said. “I thought it would come down to the wire because Oklahoma State has probably been playing outside for two weeks, and that is an advantage.”
Although the players have had some good matches thus far, they know they need to stay focused for the success to continue.
“We can’t get too excited,” Milewski said. “We have to keep working because if we think about our record, we might get distracted from what we want to do, which is win our matches.”
CU returns to action on Wednesday against the undefeated College of William & Mary (10-0).
Contact Campus Press staff writer Ben Dignan at benjamin.Dignan@thecampuspress.com.
