Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Tennis Set for Big 12 Championship
April 28, 2010 | Cowgirl Tennis
April 28, 2010
The Basics
The No. 58 Oklahoma State women's tennis team heads to Austin, Texas, this week to compete at the 2010 Big 12 Women's Tennis Championship at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center. Single-elimination tournament play begins Thursday, with the seventh-seeded Cowgirls taking on 10th-seeded Iowa State at 1:30 p.m.
About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State, the No. 7 seed in the tournament, finished the regular season with a 12-9 (5-6) record and are coming off of a 4-3 loss to Nebraska. The Cowgirls have won three of their last four matches and beat Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas during that stretch. Prior to those wins, OSU lost to Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tulsa and Texas, but defeated Missouri and Colorado. OSU also had conference losses to No. 1 Baylor and Texas Tech before defeating CU. The Cowgirls, who had won three consecutive matches over Wichita State, Denver and ORU before their loss to Baylor, are ranked No. 58 in the ITA team rankings. OSU has also beaten No. 40 Utah, 4-3, Saint Louis, 6-1, and Central Oklahoma, 7-0, in 2010.
About the Opponents
Iowa State, seeded No. 10 in the tournament, enters Thursday's match with a record of 9-14 (2-9). The Cyclones wrapped up the regular season with an eight-match losing streak and are coming off of a 6-1 loss against Oklahoma. OSU holds a 34-0 all time series advantage over ISU, with the Cowgirls winning the last match April 23, 5-2.
Last Time Out
In Oklahoma State's last competition, the Cowgirls fell to No. 40 Nebraska, 4-3, at the DeBois Tennis Complex in Stillwater. OSU struck first as Sarah Meghoufel quickly defeated Nebraska's Stefanie Weinstein in straight sets on the No. 4 singles court to put OSU up, 1-0. The Huskers answered with two-set wins of their own at the No. 2 and 6 spots to go up, 2-1. Oklahoma State took all three remaining matches to a deciding third set, but the Huskers won two, making the final score, 4-3, Nebraska.
Cowgirls in the Rankings
The Cowgirl tennis team made its debut in the 2010 ITA team rankings on Feb. 12, when they received a ranking of No. 73. Oklahoma State has climbed consistently and has been ranked as high as No. 51, which is the Cowgirls' highest ranking since March 2007. In the April 27, edition of the ITA rankings, OSU received the No. 58 spot.
Up Next
If the Cowgirls defeat Iowa State, they advance to the quarterfinal round to face No. 18 Texas Friday at 3 p.m.
Quoting Chris Young
On playing in the Big 12 Championship
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to finish strong. We played Iowa State less than a week ago so we know what to expect in our first match. I hope our girls will take everything they've learned this year and play their best tennis.”
