Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Texas Tech
Cowgirls Hold Off Red Raiders, 4-3
March 23, 2014 | Cowgirl Tennis
March 23, 2014
STILLWATER -
Oklahoma State's women's tennis team notched its fourth-straight victory on Sunday afternoon, defeating 33rd-ranked Texas Tech in a rousing 4-3 match at the Greenwood Tennis Center. The win was OSU's first over the Red Raiders since 2009.
The Red Raiders were too much for the Cowgirls (8-5, 2-0 Big 12) to handle in doubles, notching wins on one and three to clinch the doubles point and take the early lead. The Cowgirl tandem of Karyn Guttormsen and Katarina Adamovic fell to Beatriz Santos and Lynn Kiro on three before the 48th-ranked duo of Texas Tech's Samantha Adams and Kenna Kilgo defeated Viktoriya Lushkova and Kanyapat Narattana to seal the point.
“I'm really happy with the way we responded after doubles,” Cowgirl tennis coach Chris Young said. “It was the first time I really had to challenge this team to compete with energy. I didn't think that we competed very well in doubles. Texas Tech is well-coached and a team that always competes. We had to match their competitiveness to win, and I thought that we did in singles.”
Megan McCray picked up the first point of the day for the Cowgirls, knocking off Rashmi Teltumbde, 7-5, 6-2, on two. The freshman caught fire after falling down, 5-2, in her first set, taking 11 of the following 13 games to snag the straight-set victory.
The Red Raiders responded when Samantha Adams downed Cowgirl Carla Tur Mari in three sets on five to give Texas Tech the 2-1 lead.
Viktoriya Lushkova continued her hot streak of late and tied the match up at two with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Kenna Kilgo on one. The win was the Cowgirl freshman's 11th-straight victory, pushing her overall record to 12-1 on the year.
Texas Tech gained the one-point edge once again when Lynn Kiro defeated Cowgirl Katarina Adamovic, 6-3, 6-3, on four.
Kanyapat Narattana evened the match at three after topping 117th-ranked Nikki Sanders in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 match on court three. The win was the senior's fourth-straight triumph and 17th of the season.
With the five other singles matches decided, all eyes in the Greenwood Tennis Center turned to court six where Cowgirl sophomore Maria Alvarez and Beatriz Machado Santos were locked in the third set of their match.
“Maria was solid for us last year, but was waiting for her chance this year,” Young said. “I was really happy that she was able to step it up in the end. That's what Maria can do. She can find a way to win. I knew when it came down to her that we were in good shape.”
After falling down, 2-0, early in the third set, Alvarez won five-straight games to put herself in a position to close out the match. Santos picked up the following two games to close in on Alvarez, but the sophomore remained poised and clinched the Cowgirl victory, taking the match on six, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4.
“We lost some close matches early in the season when we were right there,” Young said. “It was a good learning process, for having so many young kids. These kids are learning because these last few matches when it's been tight, whether it was Oklahoma or this match, kids have stepped up. I'm proud of the way these kids have battled through the season. They didn't get down early in the season with some tough losses. They stayed tough.”
The Cowgirls will return to action on Friday, March 28, when they take on 39th-ranked Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., at 3 p.m.
No. 30 Oklahoma State 4, No. 33 Texas Tech 3
March 23, 2014 | Greenwood Tennis Center | Stillwater, Okla.
Doubles | Order of finish: 3,1,2
No. 1 – No. 48 Adams/Kilgo (TTU) def. No. 37 Lushkova/Narattana (OSU) 8-6
No. 2 – Tur Mari/Alvarez (OSU) def. Sanders/Teltumbde (TTU) 8-5
No. 3 – Santos/Kiro (TTU) def. Adamovic/Guttormsen (OSU) 8-2
Singles | Order of finish: 2,5,1,4,3,6
No. 1 – No. 83 Viktoriya Lushkova (OSU) def. Kenna Kilgo (TTU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 – Megan McCray (OSU) def. Rashmi Teltumbde (TTU) 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 – Kanyapat Narattana (OSU) def. No. 117 Nikki Sanders 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
No. 4 – Lynn Kiro (TTU) def. Katarina Adamovic (OSU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 – Samantha Adams (TTU) def. Carla Tur Mari (OSU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
No. 6 – Maria Alvarez (OSU) def. Beatriz Machado Santos (TTU) 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4
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Players Mentioned
