Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Tennis Finishes Strong at Indoor Championships
February 08, 2015 | Cowgirl Tennis
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 16 Oklahoma State women's tennis team took down No. 11 Vanderbilt in its final match of the ITA Team Indoor Championships on Sunday.
"I am so proud of our girls for the way they responded today,” coach Chris Young said. “We played two great teams in the first two rounds, and today was another great opponent in Vandy, but from the start we came out with more energy and just grinded out a win. This team showed a lot of perseverance today and that makes me proud and excited for the rest of the season."
The Cowgirls got off to a great start, winning an exciting doubles point. The No. 5 tandem of Viktoriya Lushkova and Kelsey Laurente dominated on court one, handing the No. 32 Colton/Campbell team its first doubles loss of the season, 6-1.
On court two, Katarina Adamovic and Vladica Babic defeated Vandy's Antal/Casares pair, 6-3, to pick up the doubles point for the Cowgirls.
Carla Tur Mari and Maria Alvarez had match point on court three when doubles play ended.
In singles, sophomore Tur Mari added to the Cowgirl lead, handily defeating No. 77 Marie Casares at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-1. It was her first win over a ranked opponent this spring.
Vanderbilt fought back, grabbing wins on courts three and four to tie the team score, 2-2.
The remaining three matches were tight and all went to a third set. On court one, All-American Viktoriya Lushkova dropped a tough first set, 6-4, to No. 15 Sydney Campbell. The sophomore overcame, producing huge wins in the second and third sets, 6-2, 6-2.
“It was great to see Viki step up and play her style of tennis today,” Young said. “The match was played at an extremely high level, and she dictated the play in final two sets.”
Junior Maria Alvarez clinched the match just in time at the No. 6 spot, defeating Ashleigh Antal in three sets. Alvarez lost her first set, 6-3, but pushed back in the next set, winning 6-1. The third set was taken to a tiebreaker, where Alvarez stepped up delivering a 7-1 win.
“Maria is someone I completely trust and want on the court when the match is on the line,” Young said. “She has come through twice already this year and her toughness is such an important part of this team.”
Play on court two was not finished as Kelsey Laurente took on Courtney Colton.
The Cowgirls return to action on Feb. 21 as they travel to Tulsa, Okla., to take on the Golden Hurricane at 1 p.m. at the Case Tennis Center.
No. 16 Oklahoma State 4, No. 11 Vanderbilt 2
Feb. 8, 2015 :: Charlottesville, VA (Boar's Head Sports Club)
Doubles | Order of finish: 1, 2
1. #5 Viktoriya Lushkova/Kelsey Laurente (OSU) def. #32 Courtney Colton/Sydney Campbell (VANDY) 6-1
2. Vladica Babic/Katarina Adamovic (OSU) def. Ashleigh Antal/Marie Casares (VANDY) 6-3
3. Carla Tur Mari/Maria Alvarez (OSU) vs. Frances Altick/Astra Sharma (VANDY), 5-2 unfinished
Singles | Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 6*
1. #10 Viktoriya Lushkova (OSU) def. #15 Sydney Campbell (VANDY) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
2. Courtney Colton (VANDY) vs. Kelsey Laurente (OSU) 3-6, 7-5, 5-1, unfinished
3. Frances Altick (VANDY) def. #53 Katarina Adamovic (OSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Astra Sharma (VANDY) def. Vladica Babic (OSU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Carla Tur Mari (OSU) def. #77 Marie Casares (VANDY) 6-3, 6-1
6. Maria Alvarez (OSU) def. Ashleigh Antal (VANDY) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(1)
