Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Prepare to Host Wichita State
February 26, 2014 | Cowgirl Tennis
Feb. 26, 2014
STILLWATER - Oklahoma State's women's tennis team will return to compete at the Greenwood Tennis Center for the first time in nearly a month when they host 49th-ranked Wichita State on Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m.
Fans in attendance at the event will enjoy free pizza at the intermission between doubles and singles play. Also during intermission, fifteen fans will have the chance to win $100.
Eyeing the Opponent
Wichita State enters Sunday's match with an 8-3 overall record. The Shockers have been hot of late, winning eight of its last nine matches. The team is coming off of a 4-2 loss to Colorado in Boulder, Colo., last Sunday. The 49th-ranked Shockers are 4-3 on the season away from their home courts at the Wichita Country Club and 4-2 against ranked opponents.
Matchup History
The history between the Cowgirls and the Shockers dates back to the 1978-79 season. The Cowgirls have been dominant in the vast majority of collisions with the Shockers, having won 20 of the 24 total meetings between the two programs. Oklahoma State swept 62nd-ranked Wichita State, 7-0, in Wichita the last time these two teams met.
Cowgirls in the Rankings
On Sunday, the Cowgirls will compete as the 50th-ranked team in the nation, according to the team rankings released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday.
Viktoriya Lushkova makes an appearance in the ITA singles rankings this week. Lushkova, slotted at No. 108, emerges into the rankings for the first time in her career after rattling off wins in her last seven matches, including 79th-ranked Yang Pang of Arkansas.
Last Time Out
The Cowgirls are making a return to Stillwater after a trip to Montgomery, Ala., for the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. At the tournament, the Cowgirls picked up a win over Tulane and dropped two tough matches to Rice and Illinois. Freshmen Viktoriya Lushkova and Carla Tur Mari led the way for the Cowgirls. Each snagged two singles wins and two doubles wins on the weekend.
College MatchDay
Oklahoma State University Athletics will play host to College MatchDay, the nationwide series spotlighting college tennis. The program will spotlight the Bedlam match on March 9. College MatchDay is a weekly series highlighting marquee team matches featuring the best programs, players and coaches around the country. Matches will be broadcast live online and on mobile devices on ESPN3. In addition to online coverage, fans in attendance at the match will have access to the 53-foot, interactive Fan Experience trailer on site, where they can engage in a number of activities before and during the match.
The Cowgirls are one of three Big 12 teams that will be hosting College MatchDay this season. The program will make its way to Fort Worth, Texas, on March 1 for the men's match between TCU and Texas before travelling to Waco, Texas, on March 19 for the women's match featuring Baylor and Texas A&M.
No Trouble in Doubles
Oklahoma State has been impressive in doubles this season, taking six of the eight total doubles points in 2014. Kanyapat Narattana and Viktoriya Lushkova have been a force for the Cowgirls on one doubles. Narattana and Lushkova have racked up six-straight wins since teaming up last month in the Cowgirls' match against Tulsa. Karyn Guttormsen and Katarina Adamovic are also unbeaten with a 3-0 record as a tandem on three. The duo of Maria Alvarez and Carla Tur Mari has posted a 3-1 record on two doubles.
Pair of Streaks
The Oklahoma State women's tennis roster boasts a pair of Cowgirls on a five-match wining streak or greater. Freshman Viktoriya Lushkova has notched seven-straight triumphs, while freshman Carla Tur Mari has posted five-straight wins.
Top Ten and Counting
Cowgirl Kanyapat Narattana's huge fall season propelled the senior into the top ten in the Oklahoma State record books for both career singles and doubles wins in the Big 12 era. Narattana currently holds 62 career singles victories, good for eighth in the record book. Narattana has also notched 59 doubles wins during her time in Stillwater, and sits in eighth place.
Nifty 50
With the win over Minnesota earlier this month, Cowgirl tennis coach Chris Young notched his 50th win since taking over the reins. Young is the fourth women's tennis coach in Oklahoma State history to reach 50 wins while with the program.
Fantastic Freshmen
Freshmen Megan McCray, Carla Tur Mari and Viktoriya Lushkova have been outstanding for the Cowgirls since arriving in Stillwater. McCray has notched a 16-6 overall singles record this far into her freshman season. Lushkova has posted eight singles wins and nine doubles wins since joining the team before the spring season. Tur Mari has racked up a 16-10 overall singles record in her first season as a Cowgirl, with 11 of those 16 wins coming in straight-sets.
Scheduling Tough
Much like last season, Oklahoma State's women's tennis schedule is loaded with quality opponents. The 2014 Cowgirl tennis schedule features 23 potential opponents, and 17 of those teams appear in the latest ITA team rankings. Oklahoma State has 11 guaranteed matches with ranked teams, and appearances at the ITA Kickoff Weekend and 2014 Blue-Gray Tennis Classic provide potential matchups with No. 21 Notre Dame, 26th-ranked Arizona State, No. 12 Alabama, No. 23 Auburn, 22nd-ranked Rice, No. 53 Tulane and No. 36 Yale. The Big 12 is packed with top-notch competition once again this season, with seven of the conference's twelve teams currently ranked.
Players Mentioned
