Oklahoma State University Athletics
Kelsey Laurente - Becoming a Cowgirl
May 19, 2015 | Cowgirl Tennis
By Caleb Surly, OSU media relations
A new facility, an All-American and four-straight NCAA tournament appearances have put the Cowgirls tennis program back on the map.
Oklahoma State is a desirable destination for any prospective student-athlete.
The sudden rise to prominence is even catching the eyes of current college tennis players.
Kelsey Laurente, a junior transfer, exhausted her first two years of tennis eligibility at the University of Miami before coming to Stillwater.
Coach Chris Young started watching Laurente play when she was a junior in high school in Miramar, Fla. He immediately made an effort to reconnect when he received word about her wanting to transfer.
"Chris and I had a very good relationship before I chose to sign with Miami originally," Laurente said. "I wanted a program that can develop and support me in every way. Now I have that here at OSU."
Any coach would want to pick up a player with such accolades and experience as Laurente.
She capped her freshman season with 14 singles wins, six of which were against nationally ranked opponents. She also compiled an 18-5 doubles record, winning both matches against ranked duos including the No. 7 pair in the country.
As a sophomore, Laurente was ranked as high as No. 33 in singles while primarily playing the No. 2 spot in dual matches for the Hurricanes. She was also dubbed as high as a No. 28 ranking in doubles.
Her performance in singles and doubles earned her an All-ACC Second Team selection.
The thought of leaving a program as successful as Miami, finishing in the top ten and at No. 12 in each of Laurente's respective seasons, was difficult to process.
Laurente said going from a 30-minute drive to home to what feels like a world away was quite the adjustment.
"My family was a huge supporter of me coming to OSU," Laurente said. "Being away from them is the hardest part off-court."
She approaches training and Big 12 competition the same way she always has, but said the training at OSU is tough, if not tougher than that of Miami's renowned program. Playing indoors took some adjusting, though.
After a complete change of scenery, Laurente has quickly translated her success from Miami to OSU.
Paired with All-American Viktoriya Lushkova, Laurente is now under an even bigger spotlight at the No. 1 doubles spot for the Cowgirls. She also competes in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots for singles.
Laurente said it didn't take long for her and Lushkova to build chemistry, just like with the rest of her new teammates.
"The challenge for me was adjusting and willing to accept and give everything to them as much as they did for me," Laurente said.
The duo holds an 8-6 record this season and ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, the highest rank for a doubles team in Cowgirl tennis history. Laurente also has ranked as high as No. 53 in singles.
"We work hard for it every day and take our doubles very seriously." Laurente said. "I love playing with Viki. There's no secret. We just keep it simple as much as possible and we like that."
They lost their first match of the spring season to the defending national champions, No. 18 Erin Routliffe and Maya Jansen of seventh-ranked Alabama, clinching the win 7-5 at the ITA Team Indoor Nationals.
Despite the loss, the pair has plenty of time to build on the early chemistry they developed in just one semester. Playing the defending champions can do nothing but help Laurente and Lushkova when the postseason begins to take its course.
With Lushkova coming off of Big 12 Player of the Year honors and Laurente's experience, the duo is in a position to compete for an NCAA doubles championship.
After receiving NCAA bids, Lushkova and Laurente give the program its second qualifying doubles team since 2002.
Laurente is accustomed to the expectations that come with playing for a top-25 program. The Hurricanes won the ACC title and reached the Elite 8 during her freshman year, as well as the Sweet 16 in 2013-14 before losing to eventual champion UCLA.
Her early career experience and achievements align with the goals and vision Coach Young has for OSU women's tennis. That was to be proven true when Laurente won this season's Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
In 2014, a cast of young Cowgirls advanced to the Big 12 Championship and the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
The Cowgirls have steadily improved the past four seasons and with a young, seasoned squad. In 2015, they went on to outdo the previous postseason as they hosted their first on-campus NCAA Regional in school history and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 1996.
"My personal goal this season is to walk off of the court knowing that I gave my best every day and that my teammates did the same," Laurente said. "Ultimately, we have our eyes set on one day winning a championship."
A new facility, an All-American and four-straight NCAA tournament appearances have put the Cowgirls tennis program back on the map.
Oklahoma State is a desirable destination for any prospective student-athlete.
The sudden rise to prominence is even catching the eyes of current college tennis players.
Kelsey Laurente, a junior transfer, exhausted her first two years of tennis eligibility at the University of Miami before coming to Stillwater.
Coach Chris Young started watching Laurente play when she was a junior in high school in Miramar, Fla. He immediately made an effort to reconnect when he received word about her wanting to transfer.
"Chris and I had a very good relationship before I chose to sign with Miami originally," Laurente said. "I wanted a program that can develop and support me in every way. Now I have that here at OSU."
Any coach would want to pick up a player with such accolades and experience as Laurente.
She capped her freshman season with 14 singles wins, six of which were against nationally ranked opponents. She also compiled an 18-5 doubles record, winning both matches against ranked duos including the No. 7 pair in the country.
As a sophomore, Laurente was ranked as high as No. 33 in singles while primarily playing the No. 2 spot in dual matches for the Hurricanes. She was also dubbed as high as a No. 28 ranking in doubles.
Her performance in singles and doubles earned her an All-ACC Second Team selection.
The thought of leaving a program as successful as Miami, finishing in the top ten and at No. 12 in each of Laurente's respective seasons, was difficult to process.
Laurente said going from a 30-minute drive to home to what feels like a world away was quite the adjustment.
"My family was a huge supporter of me coming to OSU," Laurente said. "Being away from them is the hardest part off-court."
She approaches training and Big 12 competition the same way she always has, but said the training at OSU is tough, if not tougher than that of Miami's renowned program. Playing indoors took some adjusting, though.
After a complete change of scenery, Laurente has quickly translated her success from Miami to OSU.
Paired with All-American Viktoriya Lushkova, Laurente is now under an even bigger spotlight at the No. 1 doubles spot for the Cowgirls. She also competes in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots for singles.
Laurente said it didn't take long for her and Lushkova to build chemistry, just like with the rest of her new teammates.
"The challenge for me was adjusting and willing to accept and give everything to them as much as they did for me," Laurente said.
The duo holds an 8-6 record this season and ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, the highest rank for a doubles team in Cowgirl tennis history. Laurente also has ranked as high as No. 53 in singles.
"We work hard for it every day and take our doubles very seriously." Laurente said. "I love playing with Viki. There's no secret. We just keep it simple as much as possible and we like that."
They lost their first match of the spring season to the defending national champions, No. 18 Erin Routliffe and Maya Jansen of seventh-ranked Alabama, clinching the win 7-5 at the ITA Team Indoor Nationals.
Despite the loss, the pair has plenty of time to build on the early chemistry they developed in just one semester. Playing the defending champions can do nothing but help Laurente and Lushkova when the postseason begins to take its course.
With Lushkova coming off of Big 12 Player of the Year honors and Laurente's experience, the duo is in a position to compete for an NCAA doubles championship.
After receiving NCAA bids, Lushkova and Laurente give the program its second qualifying doubles team since 2002.
Laurente is accustomed to the expectations that come with playing for a top-25 program. The Hurricanes won the ACC title and reached the Elite 8 during her freshman year, as well as the Sweet 16 in 2013-14 before losing to eventual champion UCLA.
Her early career experience and achievements align with the goals and vision Coach Young has for OSU women's tennis. That was to be proven true when Laurente won this season's Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
In 2014, a cast of young Cowgirls advanced to the Big 12 Championship and the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
The Cowgirls have steadily improved the past four seasons and with a young, seasoned squad. In 2015, they went on to outdo the previous postseason as they hosted their first on-campus NCAA Regional in school history and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 1996.
"My personal goal this season is to walk off of the court knowing that I gave my best every day and that my teammates did the same," Laurente said. "Ultimately, we have our eyes set on one day winning a championship."
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