Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
UNC
OSU Bound for Super Regionals in Chapel Hill
May 08, 2019 | Cowgirl Tennis
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STILLWATER – Oklahoma State's women's tennis team is slated to make its fourth round-of-16 appearance in the last five seasons on Saturday, as it takes on the Oracle/ITA's top-ranked team and No. 2 seed North Carolina (31-1; 14-0 ACC).Â
The Cowgirls (21-7; 8-1 Big 12) are coming off first- and second-round home wins over Central Arkansas and No. 19 Miami. With the victories, OSU surpassed the 20-win mark for a fifth-consecutive season.Â
The meeting with UNC marks the second this season and only the fourth in the programs' histories. Below are match details with notes attached.
Sweet 16 Match Details
No. 15 Oklahoma State (21-7; 8-1 Big 12)
Vs.
No. 1 North Carolina (31-1; 14-0 ACC)
Date/Time: May 11, 2019/ 1 p.m. CST
Location: Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Live Stats:Â http://unc.statbroadcast.com/
Live Stream:Â https://goheels.com/news/2019/5/3/mens-tennis-watch-carolina-tennis.aspx
Tar Heel Footnotes
North Carolina is the top-ranked team in NCAA Division I women's tennis. The Tar Heels are seeded No. 2 in the tournament field after clinching an ACC title on April 21, knocking off the Duke Blue Devils, 4-2, in the finals bout. This marks the Pokes' second meeting this season with UNC, falling to the Tar Heels at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, 4-0, in February. UNC boasts two singles players ranked in the top 10 in the country. No. 5 McKenna Jones and No. 7 Alexa Graham. Sara Daavettila comes in at No. 20, and Cameron Morra is the 46th-ranked player in the Oracle/ITA standings. The Tar Heels boast the second-ranked doubles tandem in the country and another falls in the top 15 at No. 12. UNC has not lost a doubles point this season, and OSU has won 20 of its 27 doubles points played.
Notable Streaks and Trends
The Cowgirls have spent 89 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 five seasons following their 20th win over Central Arkansas in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Since 2012, OSU has made seven-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.This weekend's Sweet 16 appearance marks the fourth for the Cowgirls in the past five seasons.
Conference Notes
Oklahoma State and Kansas are the only two Big 12 teams remaining in NCAA Championship action after the opening weekend. Kansas is scheduled to take on third-seeded Stanford on Sunday. Four Cowgirl tennis players earned postseason league awards last week for their season performances. Katarina Stresnakova was dubbed first-team All-Big 12 for the first time in her career. Senior Sofia Blanco and doubles partner Catherine Gulihur received a first-team nod, too. It's Blanco's second-consecutive year collecting the honor. Senior Marina Guinart and Blanco also acquired Big 12 individual champion titles on singles courts No. 4 and No. 5.
NCAA Individual Championships
Oklahoma State women's tennis players Katarina Stresnakova, Sofia Blanco and Catherine Gulihur were selected to compete in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships later this month in Orlando, Fla. Stresnakova was selected for singles play as one of 49 at-large bids, and doubles tandem Blanco and Gulihur also received an at-large bid. It marks the third-consecutive year in which OSU has fielded a singles and doubles team at the event. Blanco returns after making a run to the finals with partner Vladica Babic in 2018 and earning All-America status. It's the first trip to the tournament for senior Stresnakova and freshman Gulihur. Singles and doubles contests will be conducted May 20-25 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida after the team championships conclude. The University of Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission are set to host the event. Blanco and Gulihur have compiled a 13-4 dual record this season with only one loss in Big 12 play at the No. 1 spot for the Cowgirls. In singles, Stresnakova has upended six ranked opponents and gone 12-11.Â
Players Mentioned
