Streaking Cowgirls Set for Critical Big 12 Matchups in Lone Star State

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STILLWATER – The seventh-ranked Oklahoma State women's tennis team heads to the Lone Star State this weekend for a pair of critical Big 12 matches. The Cowgirls will look for their third top-10 win of the season on Friday when they travel to Lubbock, Texas, for a showdown with No. 6 Texas Tech at 5 p.m. The squad will then make the trip to Fort Worth, Texas, for a matchup with No. 33 TCU.

Watch and Follow the Matches
Fans can follow the Cowgirls this weekend with live scoring on statbroadcast.com.

About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State enters this weekend's conference bouts at 14-3 overall with a 2-0 mark in Big 12 action. The Cowgirls return five contributing letterwinners from a 2015-16 campaign that saw the Cowgirls post the best finish in program history, earning the title of NCAA Runners-Up. Last season, OSU racked up a 29-5 record on the way to earning the program's first Big 12 Championship in 13 years, thanks in part to a 9-0 conference record.

The OSU roster is headlined by three standout seniors in Katarina Adamovic, Viktoriya Lushkova and Carla Tur Mari. Adamovic is coming off an impressive junior season that saw the Cacak, Serbia native earn her first ITA All-American honor by way of advancing to the NCAA individual quarterfinals last summer. A two-time All-American and the 2015 Big 12 Co-Player of the Year, Lushkova has been a key to the Cowgirls' unprecedented success as well, racking up a team-leading 91 wins during her time in Stillwater. Tur Mari provided a major boost to the back end of the OSU singles lineup in 2016, going 22-8 in the No. 6 spot.

Also returning for the Cowgirls are junior Vladica Babic and sophomore Katarina Stresnakova. Babic tallied six victories over ranked opponents in 2016, including a triumph over No. 28 Kennedy Shaffer of Georgia to help push the Cowgirls to a win over the Bulldogs in the NCAA Sweet 16. The highlight of Stresnakova's first season in Stillwater came in the NCAA Tournament, when the Slovakia product took down Ferny Angeles Paz of Ohio State in the NCAA quarterfinals to clinch the win over the Buckeyes and push the Cowgirls in to the national semifinals.

Oklahoma State newcomers Sofia Blanco, Aliona Bolsova and Lena Ruppert have been key pieces to the Cowgirls' strong start as well, going a combined 55-15 overall in singles. The Cowgirls boasted one of the most impressive doubles records in the country in 2016, winning all but one doubles point in 34 matches. That trend has continued this season, as OSU has taken 15 of 17 possible doubles points on the year.

Head coach Chris Young enters his eighth season at the helm of the Cowgirl tennis program after earning his 100th win with the program last season. Young is assisted by second-year assistant coach Matt Manasse and volunteer assistant coach Jaime Jaime Sánchez-Cañamares Rios.

Notable Streaks and Trends
?The Cowgirls have spent 52 consecutive weeks in the ITA top 25. The last time OSU was outside the top 25 was March 18, 2014.
?The Cowgirls have won 20 or more matches in each of the last two seasons.
?Oklahoma State has won 16-straight regular season conference matches dating back to March 29, 2015, when the Cowgirls came up short, 4-3, at Texas Tech.
?Since 2012, OSU has made five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. That streak is the second-longest in program history behind a 10-year streak that saw the Cowgirls earn NCAA Tournament berths from 1982-91.
?OSU has won 29-straight matches at the Greenwood Tennis Center, dating back to March of 2015.
?The Cowgirls were impressive during the fall, racking up a 65-16 (.802) overall singles record and a 28-14 (.667) overall mark in doubles.
?That success has continued this spring, as OSU opened the 2017 dual season with eight sweeps in its first 17 matches.

Last Time Out
The seventh-ranked Oklahoma State women's tennis team continued Big 12 play on Friday with a 4-0 victory over No. 30 Texas at the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center. Oklahoma State (14-3; 2-0 Big 12) has now won 16-straight regular season conference matches dating back to March 29, 2015. Friday's win is also the eighth time this season that Cowgirls have swept their opposition.

No. 8 Oklahoma State 4, No. 30 Texas 0
March 17, 2017 | Greenwood Tennis Center | Stillwater, Oklahoma

Doubles (Order of finish: 2, 1)
C1: No. 17 Adamovic/Babic (OSU) def. No. 52 Granic/Wagland (TEXAS), 6-3
C2: Bolsova/Stresnakova (OSU) def. Korpcina/A.Turati (TEXAS), 6-4
C3: Blanco/Lushkova (OSU) vs. B. Turati/Poluta (TEXAS), 5-4, unf.

Singles (Order of finish: 6, 3, 1)
C1: No. 10 Viktoriya Lushkova def. No. 26 Bianca Turati (TEXAS), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
C2: No. 76 Katarina Adamovic (OSU) vs. No. 87 Neda Koprcina (TEXAS), 6-3, 6-7, unf.
C3: No. 43 Aliona Bolsova (OSU) def. No. 62 Petra Granic (TEXAS), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
C4: No. 92 Vladica Babic (OSU) vs. Anna Turati (TEXAS), 4-6, 6-0, 5-4, unf.
C5: Katarina Stresnakova (OSU) vs. Katie Poluta (TEXAS), 6-3, 5-7, 3-0, unf.
C6: No. 122 Sofia Blanco (OSU) def. Dani Wagland (TEXAS), 6-4, 6-3

Dominating the Big 12
The Cowgirls have arisen as a force in the Big 12 Conference over the last several seasons. Since 2013, OSU has won 31 conference matches, which ranks second only to Baylor's 32.

The Cowgirls have made three of the last four Big 12 Championship matches, finally breaking through to win their first since 2003 last year with a 4-0 win over Texas Tech.

OSU has won 16-straight regular season conference matches, dating back to March of 2015. That mark ranks second among Power Five schools, behind North Carolina. A look:

School                                                 Consecutive Conf. Wins (10 or more)
North Carolina (ACC)                         35
Oklahoma State (Big 12)                    16
Ohio State (Big Ten)                           14

Home Court Advantage
Since it opened for the 2013-14 season, the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center has proven a tough place to play for Cowgirl opponents.

The Cowgirls have won 29-straight matches at the new facility, which after Florida's nation-leading streak was snapped by Georgia earlier this month, stands as the second-longest streak in the nation behind North Carolina's 49.

After an undefeated 18-0 mark at home last year and a 7-0 home start this season, OSU has racked up a 44-2 overall record in the facility over the last four seasons. A look at the numbers:

Season                  Record at GTC
2013-14                6-1
2014-15                13-1
2015-16                18-0
2016-17                7-0
Total                      44-2

Series Notes: Texas Tech
?This Friday's match between the Cowgirls and Red Raiders will be the 27th match in the series. OSU leads the series, 16-10.
?The Cowgirls have won two-straight over Texas Tech, including a 4-0 win in last year's Big 12 Championship match.
?OSU's last conference loss came at the hands of the Red Raiders in Lubbock, as the Cowgirls dropped a 4-3 match at the McLeod Tennis Center.
?OSU is 6-4 all-time in Lubbock, with its last win coming in 2008.
?Overall, the Cowgirls have won four of the last six over Texas Tech.

Series Notes: TCU
?Sunday will mark the 20th meeting in the series between the Cowgirls and the Horned Frogs. Oklahoma State leads the series, 10-9.
?TCU won the first four matches between the teams from 1979 to 1983, but since then OSU is 10-5 against the Horned Frogs.
?OSU has won five straight over TCU, coming off a 4-0 sweep of the Horned Frogs earlier this season at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Stillwater.
?The Cowgirls' current five-match win streak serves as the longest streak in the series for either team.
?TCU has won five of eight previous matches in Fort Worth.
?Head coach Chris Young is 5-1 against TCU heading into this weekend.

Texas Tech from a Distance
The Texas Tech Red Raiders enter Friday's top-10 matchup with a 16-3 overall record, ranked No. 6 in the nation and tied atop the Big 12 with a 4-0 conference mark.

Winners of nine straight since their loss to then-No. 8 Auburn last month, the Red Raiders are coming off a pair of 4-2 Big 12 wins over No. 22 Texas and No. 15 Baylor last weekend.

Texas Tech is led in singles by 17th-ranked Gabriela Talaba, who has racked up eight-straight wins on the way to a 12-4 dual record in the No. 1 spot so far, including a 7-5 mark over ranked opponents.

Tech is led by ninth-year head coach Todd Petty and assistant coach Romeo Ric Mortera.

Eyeing the Horned Frogs
Ranked No. 33 in the latest ITA team rankings, TCU holds a 9-6 overall record with a 1-2 Big 12 mark.

Seda Arantekin leads TCU in singles with a 16-10 overall record with a 4-3 mark in the No. 1 spot. Donika Bashota and Olaya Garrido-Rivas lead the Horned Frogs' doubles charge, going 9-3 overall, which is good for a No. 7 national ranking.

TCU is led by third-year head coach Lee Taylor Walker and assistant coach Benn Stapp.

Record Watch
?Viktoriya Lushkova's .810 career win percentage in singles ranks second all-time in program history. She is the first player since Kate Vasylyeva in 2003 to break onto that list.
?With 91 career singles wins, Viktoriya Lushkova is currently second on the Big 12 era career list, and only three wins away from sealing the No. 1 spot. She is sixth on the doubles Big 12 era list with 85 career wins.
?With 86 career doubles wins, Katarina Adamovic sits in fifth on the program Big 12 era career doubles wins list. With a .798 win percentage in doubles, Adamovic's doubles win percentage leads the Big 12 era list in that category as well, along with Vladica Babic.
?With 90 career doubles wins, Carla Tur Mari is currently the program's active leader in that category, while also sitting in third in the Big 12 era program record book. She is also fourth in singles with 88 career wins.

Cowgirls in the ITA Rankings
The Oklahoma State women's tennis team remained at No. 7 in this week's Intercollegiate Tennis Association team rankings released on Tuesday. The Cowgirls have now been ranked in the ITA top 25 for 52 consecutive weeks, and in the top 10 for four-straight weeks.

The Cowgirls are coming off an idle weekend following a 4-0 victory over then-No. 30 Texas in Stillwater earlier this month. Oklahoma State (14-3; 2-0 Big 12) has won 16-straight regular season conference matches dating back to 2015. The win over the Longhorns is also the eighth time this season that Cowgirls have swept their opposition.

With no individual rankings released this week, the Cowgirls still hold five players ranked in singles and four ranked doubles teams.

Senior Viktoriya leads the Cowgirls in singles, coming in at No. 10 once last week week. Aliona Bolsova rose a spot to No. 42, while senior Katarina Adamovic jumped 10 spots up to No. 66. Junior Vladica Babic made the big move of the week, rising from No. 92 to No. 73 in last week's poll. Senior Carla Tur Mari rounds out the list of ranked Cowgirls at No. 109.

In doubles, Tur Mari and Babic are once again in the top five, moving up a spot from their previous ranking. After being posted at No. 37, Bolsova and sophomore Sofia Blanco come in at No. 23 in last week's rankings. Lushkova and Adamovic are ranked No. 44 in the doubles poll.

Super Seniors
The experienced Cowgirl roster includes three seniors this season, all of which have been major contributors to the growth of the OSU women's tennis program. Katarina Adamovic, Carla Tur Mari and Viktoriya Lushkova have combined for 246 singles wins, 261 doubles wins, three All-America honors and 10 All-Big 12 accolades while helping the Cowgirls to an 82-23 dual record.

Young Guns
While the 2016-17 Cowgirl roster boasts plenty of experience, the young talent that head Coach Chris Young has brought on board over the last couple of seasons is evident as well, especially with a pair of newcomers.

Freshman Aliona Bolsova (Spain) joined the Cowgirls this fall after finishing one of the most decorated junior careers of any signee in Cowgirl history, having been been ranked as high as No. 4 in the ITF world junior rankings with a number of impressive wins under her belt.

Freshman Lena Ruppert (Germany) has been ranked as high as the No. 70 player in Germany, while recording five wins against players in the top-50. Ruppert came to OSU this fall rated as one of the top-10 players under the age of 18.

Impressively, the Cowgirl underclassmen (Bolsova, Ruppert, and sophomores Sofia Blanco and Katarina Stresnakova) have combined for a 72-20 record (.783 win pct.) so far this season.

Lushkova Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Oklahoma State women's tennis senior Viktoriya Lushkova has been named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. It marks the second-straight week a Cowgirl has received the honor and the fourth selection of Lushkova's career.

Lushkova recorded a match-clinching victory against No. 30 Texas last Friday on court one, dropping No. 26 Bianca Turati in three sets. Lushkova found herself down a break early in the first set, but battled back to pull level at 4-4 before dropping the set to Turati. The senior found her rhythm again in the second set, however, and went on to win 12 of the final 15 games as she locked up the match for the Cowgirls.

Lushkova is 18-8 overall this season, including seven wins over ranked opponents and eight dual wins competing in the top singles spot for OSU. Lushkova has been clutch during her senior campaign, going 9-3 in three-set matches. Now with 91 wins in her career, she sits second on the program list for career wins in the Big 12 era, and is only three wins away from securing the top spot.

No Trouble in Doubles
Over the last two seasons, Oklahoma State has made a name for itself around the country for its strong doubles play. This year, the Cowgirls have won 15 of 17 doubles points. Over the last two seasons total, OSU has taken 48 of 51 doubles points.

Cowgirls Go International
The 2017 Oklahoma State women's tennis roster includes a variety of international flavors, with athletes hailing from eight different countries and three different continents. The Cowgirl roster boasts players from Serbia, Montenegro, Argentina, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia and the United States.

Streaking Cowgirls Set for Critical Big 12 Matchups in Lone Star State

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Players Mentioned

Katarina Adamovic

Vladica Babic

Sofia Blanco

Aliona Bolsova

Viktoriya Lushkova

Lena Ruppert

Katarina Stresnakova

Carla Tur Mari

Oklahoma State University Athletics