Cowgirls Drop Big 12 Semifinals Match to Tournament Host Kansas

Saturday, April 20

3 PM

Oklahoma State University

University of Kansas

Cowgirls Drop Big 12 Semifinals Match to Tournament Host Kansas

April 20, 2019 | Cowgirl Tennis

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After besting Kansas twice earlier this season, the No. 12 Oklahoma State women's tennis team lost, 4-2, in the teams' third meeting Saturday at the Big 12 Championship.

The Cowgirls' (19-7; 8-1 Big 12) most recent win over Kansas at the Greenwood Tennis Center marked their first top-10 victory of the year.

"I thought Kansas played a great match," coach Chris Young said. "They came out strong in doubles, and I thought that kind of set the tone for the match. Credit to them. It's tough to win three times against the same team, and they came out with good competitive energy and confidence."

Kansas struck first in doubles when No. 71 Anastasia Rychagova and Sonia Smagina defeated Katarina Stresnakova and Marina Guinart, 6-2. Bunyawi Thamchaiwat and partner Tamara Arnold then lost a close, 6-4, bout to Malkia Ngounoue and Maria Toran Ribes.

After following behind in doubles, Lisa Marie Rioux evened the score with a 6-4, 6-1 upset over No. 104 Janet Koch. No. 93 Guinart followed, defeating KU's Smagina, 6-2, 6-4, to give the Cowgirls their first lead of the afternoon.

The Jayhawks went on to win three consecutive matches beginning with Nina Khmelnitckaia defeating Sofia Blanco, 7-5, 6-2. Stresnakova lost to 22nd-ranked Anastasia Rychagova, and in a match that went to three sets, Catherine Gulihur dropped her bout to Toran Ribes, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

"We competed really well until the end, but we had dug ourselves too big of a hole," Young said. "Right now we look forward to being able to come back home and hopefully host the first and second rounds. We'll find out all the information next week about that, but these next two weeks will give us a chance to get healthy and work hard to just become a strong team.

Next week the Cowgirls are off in preparation for NCAA Regionals, which are set to begin May 4, with the location to be determined.

No. 12 OSU 2, No. 20 Kansas 4
April 20, 2019 | Jayhawk Tennis Center | Lawrence, Kan.

Order of finish: Singles (2, 4, 5, 1, 6)
1. No. 22 Anastasia Rychagova (KU) def. No. 26 Katarina Stresnakova (OSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. Lisa Marie Rioux (OSU) def. No. 104 Janet Koch (KU) 6-4, 6-1
3. Plobrung Plipuech (KU) vs. No. 98 Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (OSU) 6-2, 6-6 (5-5) uf
4. No. 93 Marina Guinart (OSU) def. Sonia Smagina (KU) 6-2, 6-4
5. Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. Sofia Blanco (OSU) 7-5, 6-2
6. Maria Toran Ribes (KU) def. Catherine Gulihur (OSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4

Order of finish: Doubles (2, 3)
1. No. 21 Blanco/ Gulihur (OSU) vs. No. 3 Koch/Khmelnitckaia (KU) 5-5 uf
2. No. 71 Rychagova/Smagina def. Stresnakova/ Guinart (OSU) 6-2
3. Ngounoue/Toran Ribes (KU) def. Thamchaiwat/ Arnold (OSU) 6-4