Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Advance to Big 12 Tournament Semifinals
April 26, 2003 | Cowgirl Tennis
The No. 35 Cowgirls (15-6, 9-3) failed to acquire the doubles point, giving No. 33 OU (18-6, 7-5) an early lead. OSU would respond by winning four of the five completed singles bouts.
At the No. 1 doubles position, OU’s Anda Perianu and Heather Saluri defeated the duo of senior Linda Faltynkova and junior Katya Kolodynska, 8-1.
The Cowgirls would even things up by picking up a win at the No. 2 position. Senior Erin Pauchnik and sophomore Ewa Radzikowska continued their perfect season by defeating Annette Bryntesson and Bethany Griffin, 8-4.
OU would pick up the doubles point by winning the No. 3 position in a tightly contested match. Melissa Mendieta and Jessica Braver dropped sophomore Ines Furtmayr and freshman Zana Masnic, 8-6.
The Sooners extended their lead when Perianu defeated Faltynkova at the No. 1 singles position in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
The Cowgirls would claim the match by winning the next four consecutive singles positions.
Senior Kate Vasylyeva started the rally by defeating Bryntesson at the No. 2 position in straight sets 6-1, 6-4. Radzikowska followed suit by holding on to defeat Saluri at the No. 3 position, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2.
The Cowgirls claimed the lead for good when Kolodynska dropped Griffin at the No. 4 position in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
Masnic would clinch the match for the Cowgirls by winning at the No. 5 position over Mendieta, 7-6(5), 6-3.
At the No. 6 position, Furtmayr was leading Braver in the second set. The dual was ended because the Cowgirls had already clinched the match.
OSU will return to action tomorrow when they face Colorado at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City. No. 8 Colorado shocked top seeded Baylor, 4-2, to claim the semifinal slot.
In their only meeting this season, Oklahoma State defeated Colorado at the Harvest House Indoor courts in Boulder, 5-2, on February 15. The Cowgirls hold a 16-4 all time series lead over their conference rival.
The match against the Buffaloes is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.
