Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Fall to Florida, 4-0, in Sweet 16
May 15, 2015 | Cowgirl Tennis
DALLAS -- No. 12 Oklahoma State's women's tennis squad fell in a 4-0 match to fifth-ranked Florida in the NCAA Round of 16 at the SMU Tennis Complex; however the score did not indicate the competitiveness of the match.
"It was an excellent match," coach Chris Young said. "I think the score doesn't indicate the type of match that it was. We're here for four hours, and both teams just laid it all on the line. [Florida] was able to really step up at No. 2 and have a good comeback there. I think if we split there, and then split on No. 6, we had four matches in the third set. So, obviously, we would need to win all of them, but we were in control at 5 and up at 1. I was just really proud of the girls for the way they competed and gave us a chance. I think both teams laid it all out on the line. That's what college tennis is about. My hat's off to Florida because they played an excellent match and deserved to win today."
This marks the second year in a row, the Gators have knocked the Cowgirls out of the NCAA tournament.
Due to inclement weather in Waco, the match was moved indoors to the SMU Tennis Complex in Dallas.
The Cowgirls fell in a painfully close doubles contest with losses coming on courts three and two, respectively.
On court three, Maria Alvarez and Carla Tur Mari teamed up against Florida's Liang/Porter team. The Spanish duo went down 4-1 but battled back to bring the match to a tiebreaker when they tied the Gators at 7-all. The two teams traded points to start the tiebreaker, but Florida pulled ahead to win the match 8-7(4).
Katarina Adamovic and Vladica Babic took a 3-1 lead on court two against the Kuhlman/Woolcock duo, but later found themselves down 5-3. The Cowgirls fought their way to a 6-all situation, but were eventually outlasted as Florida earned the 8-6 win.
Play on court one was not finished as the 12th-ranked tandem of Viktoriya Lushkova and Kelsey Laurente led No. 6 Austin/Keegan, 7-6.
"The doubles point, I believe, was the match," Young said. "Honestly, it felt like we needed to win the doubles point to win the match, and I think that probably holds true. We had a good advantage to start at No. 2 doubles and we weren't able to finish it off, and I think No. 1 was obviously playing well. When all three matches are 8-6 or 8-7, that means there's a good level of tennis being played. I was just happy that the doubles point was played at such a high level."
In singles, the Pokes showed a lot of fight but were not able to hold off the Gators as they fell on courts two, three and four.
Laurente fell on court three to No. 28 Brianna Morgan in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. After dropping the first set, the Cowgirl fought hard through the second but was bested by the Gator.
UF went up 3-0 after picking up 6-2, 6-1 match in a bout that featured No. 58 Kourtney Keegan and No. 99 Vladica Babic at the No. 4 spot.
The match was clinched on court two, where Adamovic fell to No. 13 Josie Kuhlman in straight sets. The sophomore surrendered a 6-3 first set, but came back to lead 5-2 in the second; however Kuhlman pushed back to win five games in a row and seal the win for Florida.
Play was not finished on courts one, five and six.
No. 17 Lushkova fell in the first set against third-ranked Brooke Austin, 6-4, on court one. The Cowgirl stormed back to push the match to a third with a 6-3 win in the second set. She held a 3-2 lead over the Gator when play was finished.
At the No. 5 spot, Carla Tur Mari was the only Poke to win her first set as she earned a 6-4 win over No. 58 Belinda Woolcock. The Gator went on to win the second set, sending the match to a third. Tur Mari was on the verge of a third-set win with a 4-1 advantage over Woolcock.
Alvarez lost a tough first set on court six, falling in a tiebreaker to Peggy Porter, 7-6(1). The Cowgirl was starting to make a comeback, leading 5-3 in the second set with set point before play was finished.
The Cowgirls went 23-6 on the season, producing the first 20-win season since 2001. Young and the Cowgirls put together a stellar 2014-15 campaign as they made their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1996 as well as the program's first appearance in the ITA Indoor Championships. They also reached a program-high No. 8 ranking earlier this season.
"It was obviously a historic season for us," Young said. "A lot of great things. It's hard to think of all that in this moment after the girls just laid it all on the line. I couldn't be more proud of what the girls accomplished this season. I think tonight they showed the true spirit of our program. The great thing is that next season many of them are coming back, and we look forward to great things next season."
Up next for the Pokes, Viktoriya Lushkova and Kelsey Laurente will compete in the NCAA individual championships. Lushkova will compete in the singles tournament and will also team up with Laurente for the doubles tournament. The tournaments are set for May 20-25 in Waco, Texas.
#5 Florida 4, #12 Oklahoma State 0
May 15, 2015 :: Dallas, Texas (SMU Tennis Complex)
Doubles | Order of finish: 3,2
1. #12 Lushkova/Laurente (OSU) vs. #6 Austin/Keegan (UF), 7-6
2. Kuhlman/Woolcock (UF) def. Adamovic/Babic (OSU), 8-6
3. Liang/Porter (UF) def. Alvarez/Tur Mari (OSU), 8-7(4)
Singles | Order of finish: 3,4,2*
1. #17 Viktoriya Lushkova (OSU) vs. #3 Brooke Austin (UF), 4-6, 6-3, 3-2
2. #13 Josie Kuhlman (UF) def. Katarina Adamovic (OSU), 6-3, 7-5
3. #28 Brianna Morgan (UF) def. Kelsey Laurente (OSU), 6-1, 6-3
4. #56 Kourtney Keegan (UF) def. #99 Vladica Babic (OSU), 6-2, 6-1
5. Carla Tur Mari (OSU) vs. #58 Belinda Woolcock (UF), 6-4, 1-6, 4-1
6. Maria Alvarez (OSU) vs. Peggy Porter (UF), 6-7(1), 5-3
"It was an excellent match," coach Chris Young said. "I think the score doesn't indicate the type of match that it was. We're here for four hours, and both teams just laid it all on the line. [Florida] was able to really step up at No. 2 and have a good comeback there. I think if we split there, and then split on No. 6, we had four matches in the third set. So, obviously, we would need to win all of them, but we were in control at 5 and up at 1. I was just really proud of the girls for the way they competed and gave us a chance. I think both teams laid it all out on the line. That's what college tennis is about. My hat's off to Florida because they played an excellent match and deserved to win today."
This marks the second year in a row, the Gators have knocked the Cowgirls out of the NCAA tournament.
Due to inclement weather in Waco, the match was moved indoors to the SMU Tennis Complex in Dallas.
The Cowgirls fell in a painfully close doubles contest with losses coming on courts three and two, respectively.
On court three, Maria Alvarez and Carla Tur Mari teamed up against Florida's Liang/Porter team. The Spanish duo went down 4-1 but battled back to bring the match to a tiebreaker when they tied the Gators at 7-all. The two teams traded points to start the tiebreaker, but Florida pulled ahead to win the match 8-7(4).
Katarina Adamovic and Vladica Babic took a 3-1 lead on court two against the Kuhlman/Woolcock duo, but later found themselves down 5-3. The Cowgirls fought their way to a 6-all situation, but were eventually outlasted as Florida earned the 8-6 win.
Play on court one was not finished as the 12th-ranked tandem of Viktoriya Lushkova and Kelsey Laurente led No. 6 Austin/Keegan, 7-6.
"The doubles point, I believe, was the match," Young said. "Honestly, it felt like we needed to win the doubles point to win the match, and I think that probably holds true. We had a good advantage to start at No. 2 doubles and we weren't able to finish it off, and I think No. 1 was obviously playing well. When all three matches are 8-6 or 8-7, that means there's a good level of tennis being played. I was just happy that the doubles point was played at such a high level."
In singles, the Pokes showed a lot of fight but were not able to hold off the Gators as they fell on courts two, three and four.
Laurente fell on court three to No. 28 Brianna Morgan in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. After dropping the first set, the Cowgirl fought hard through the second but was bested by the Gator.
UF went up 3-0 after picking up 6-2, 6-1 match in a bout that featured No. 58 Kourtney Keegan and No. 99 Vladica Babic at the No. 4 spot.
The match was clinched on court two, where Adamovic fell to No. 13 Josie Kuhlman in straight sets. The sophomore surrendered a 6-3 first set, but came back to lead 5-2 in the second; however Kuhlman pushed back to win five games in a row and seal the win for Florida.
Play was not finished on courts one, five and six.
No. 17 Lushkova fell in the first set against third-ranked Brooke Austin, 6-4, on court one. The Cowgirl stormed back to push the match to a third with a 6-3 win in the second set. She held a 3-2 lead over the Gator when play was finished.
At the No. 5 spot, Carla Tur Mari was the only Poke to win her first set as she earned a 6-4 win over No. 58 Belinda Woolcock. The Gator went on to win the second set, sending the match to a third. Tur Mari was on the verge of a third-set win with a 4-1 advantage over Woolcock.
Alvarez lost a tough first set on court six, falling in a tiebreaker to Peggy Porter, 7-6(1). The Cowgirl was starting to make a comeback, leading 5-3 in the second set with set point before play was finished.
The Cowgirls went 23-6 on the season, producing the first 20-win season since 2001. Young and the Cowgirls put together a stellar 2014-15 campaign as they made their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1996 as well as the program's first appearance in the ITA Indoor Championships. They also reached a program-high No. 8 ranking earlier this season.
"It was obviously a historic season for us," Young said. "A lot of great things. It's hard to think of all that in this moment after the girls just laid it all on the line. I couldn't be more proud of what the girls accomplished this season. I think tonight they showed the true spirit of our program. The great thing is that next season many of them are coming back, and we look forward to great things next season."
Up next for the Pokes, Viktoriya Lushkova and Kelsey Laurente will compete in the NCAA individual championships. Lushkova will compete in the singles tournament and will also team up with Laurente for the doubles tournament. The tournaments are set for May 20-25 in Waco, Texas.
#5 Florida 4, #12 Oklahoma State 0
May 15, 2015 :: Dallas, Texas (SMU Tennis Complex)
Doubles | Order of finish: 3,2
1. #12 Lushkova/Laurente (OSU) vs. #6 Austin/Keegan (UF), 7-6
2. Kuhlman/Woolcock (UF) def. Adamovic/Babic (OSU), 8-6
3. Liang/Porter (UF) def. Alvarez/Tur Mari (OSU), 8-7(4)
Singles | Order of finish: 3,4,2*
1. #17 Viktoriya Lushkova (OSU) vs. #3 Brooke Austin (UF), 4-6, 6-3, 3-2
2. #13 Josie Kuhlman (UF) def. Katarina Adamovic (OSU), 6-3, 7-5
3. #28 Brianna Morgan (UF) def. Kelsey Laurente (OSU), 6-1, 6-3
4. #56 Kourtney Keegan (UF) def. #99 Vladica Babic (OSU), 6-2, 6-1
5. Carla Tur Mari (OSU) vs. #58 Belinda Woolcock (UF), 6-4, 1-6, 4-1
6. Maria Alvarez (OSU) vs. Peggy Porter (UF), 6-7(1), 5-3
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