Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Set to Compete at Missouri Invitational
September 17, 2013 | Cowgirl Tennis
Sept. 17, 2013
STILLWATER -
The Oklahoma State women's tennis team will travel to Kansas City, Mo, this weekend to compete in the Missouri Invitational.
Competition is scheduled to begin Friday, Sept. 20, and wrap up on Sunday, Sept. 22 at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City. The schedule for the event will be released as soon as it is made available later this week.
The Tournament Field
This year's Missouri Invitational will feature players from Nebraska, Princeton and host team Missouri. This is Oklahoma State's second straight year to compete at the Missouri Invitational. The Cowgirls will take on some familiar faces this year, as Princeton and Missouri competed at the tournament in 2012 as well.
Tournament Format
The Missouri Invitational will feature singles and doubles competition, but not in regular tournament format. Instead, each team will face off against each other in both singles and doubles. At the end of the weekend, after all play is completed, a winner will be selected from each flight based on best record.
Playing for a Cause
The Missouri Invitational will benefit breast cancer research at the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Kansas City. Fans attending the event can fill out pledge forms at the tournament site.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, a group of Cowgirls competed amongst a strong tournament field at the Duke Invitational in Cary, N.C. Freshmen Carla Tur Mari and Megan McCray both recorded their first collegiate victories. Over the course of the weekend, three Cowgirls recorded victories over ranked singles opponents. The Cowgirls posted a combined singles record of 7-9, and a 1-5 mark in doubles play.
Cowgirls in the Rankings
The Oklahoma State women's tennis doubles team of senior Kanyapat Narattana and freshman Carla Tur Mari are slotted as the 47th-ranked doubles team in the nation, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason rankings.
In addition to the preseason rankings, the ITA also released the selections for the 2013 Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Narattana and Tur Mari will compete in the event's pre-qualifying rounds beginning on Saturday, Sept. 28. The pre-qualifying event will be hosted by UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif.
Eyeing the Opponents
Teams competing at the Missouri Invitational combine to feature three players ranked in the ITA singles rankings and two doubles teams appearing in the ITA doubles rankings. Ranked singles players include Missouri's No. 72 Cierra Gaytan-Leach, as well as 107th-ranked Amanda Muliawan and No. 120 Lindsay Graff of Princeton. Elisha Gabb and Gaytan-Leach of Missouri will be the highest-ranked doubles team in this weekend's tournament at No. 32, followed by the 47th-ranked duo of Kanyapat Narattana and Carla Tur Mari from Oklahoma State.
Fresh Faces
The 2013 fall season brings several changes to the Cowgirl tennis roster. The team returns three players from the spring campaign but head coach Chris Young brought on five newcomers to the squad over the summer. The newcomers include sophomore transfer from Kansas State Miranda Erisman, as well as freshmen Megan McCray, Morgan McCray, Mariah Burke and Carla Tur Mari.
Among the new faces is first year assistant coach Courtney Steinbock. Steinbock, a native of Lubbock, Texas, was brought into the program earlier this summer after spending three years as assistant coach at Mississippi State. Steinbock has also held positions at Wichita State, Washington State and her alma mater, the University of Kansas.
Racking Up Wins
Cowgirl Senior Kanyapat Narattana currently sits at No. 12 on the list for most overall wins in the Big 12 era with 51 wins. Narattana sits four wins behind Martina Hautova for the 11th spot on the list and six wins behind Lauren Simmons for tenth. If Narattana breaks the top ten, she would be the second Cowgirl recruited and coached by Chris Young to do so. Malika Rose broke the top ten last season and finished her career in eighth place on the list with 63 wins.
A Win's a Win
Cowgirl junior Karyn Guttormsen had a solid dual season competing in the six spot for Oklahoma State in 2013, recording a 14-8 mark. The Cowgirls posted a 12-2 record in matches where Guttormsen took the victory.
Keeping the Streak Alive
Over the past couple of seasons, senior Cowgirl Kanyapat Narattana and former teammate Malika Rose have become staples in the ITA doubles rankings, reaching as high as No. 14 in last fall's preseason rankings. Although Rose is gone, Narattana is featured in the 2013-14 preseason rankings, along with freshman Carla Tur Mari. The last time Narattana didn't appear in the ITA doubles rankings was March 27, 2012.
