Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Michigan *
Cowgirls Set to Open Season with Two Ranked Battles
January 17, 2024 | Cowgirl Tennis
The Basics
Oklahoma State's women's tennis team will open its 2024 season by hosting No. 4 Michigan on Friday, Jan. 19, and No. 14 Ohio State on Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater. The Cowgirls will open their season against a top-five ranked opponent for the first time since 2019, when they faced No. 4 Duke.
Following the Action
Livestreams of the matches can be viewed at this link: Athletics Tennis (track.tennis). Live scoring will also be available at okstate.statbroadcast.com.
In the Rankings
Oklahoma State checked in at No. 5 in the latest ITA rankings, its highest ranking since 2017. In the ITA individual rankings, Ange Oby Kajuru came in at No. 2, making her the highest-ranked Cowgirl in program history. Along with Kajuru, four other Cowgirls appeared in the singles rankings, with Anastasiya Komar checking in at No. 13, Lucia Peyre at No. 53, Ayumi Miyamoto at No. 60 and Safiya Carrington at No. 62. In the doubles rankings, Kajuru and Komar ranked at No. 6, while Komar and Raquel Gonzalez appeared at No. 12.
Series History
Oklahoma State will meet Michigan for the third time in the last two seasons and fourth time overall, with Michigan holding a 2-1 advantage after winning both matches last year. The Cowgirls will battle Ohio State for the third season in a row, trailing 3-2 in the series against the Buckeyes after dropping the last three matches.
Talented Transfers
Head coach Chris Young brought in one of the top groups of transfers in the country in the offseason. Iowa State transfer Ange Oby Kajuru was selected to the All-Big 12 First Teams in singles and doubles in 2023, and has already climbed to No. 2 in the ITA singles rankings. LSU transfers Anastasiya Komar and Safiya Carrington also bring impressive resumes to Stillwater, with Komar earning All-America honors in singles and doubles last season, and Carrington having been a two-time All-SEC selection.
A Fall for the Record Books
Oklahoma State had one of its most successful fall seasons in program history. Altogether, the Cowgirls collected 121 wins on their way to two professional singles titles, one professional doubles title and four ITA collegiate titles. At the ITA Fall National Championships, Ange Oby Kajuru and Anastasiya Komar reached the final of the doubles draw, while Kajuru advanced to the semifinals of the singles draw. A few weeks prior, the doubles partners met in the final of the ITA Central Regional Championships, with Kajuru besting Komar in a competitive match in Stillwater. Lucia Peyre swept the singles and doubles titles at the ITF 15k Norman pro circuit, along with partner Kristina Novak, and Ayumi Miyamoto earned the singles crown at the ITF 15k Jackson pro circuit.
Oklahoma State Wins Would...
• Give it wins in its last four season openers, and eight of the last nine.
• Give it wins in four straight home openers.
• Be its highest-ranked win since beating No. 3 Florida on Feb. 7, 2018.
• Improve it to 6-13 against top five teams in the Chris Young era.
• Improve it to 2-2 all time against Michigan.
• Improve it to 3-3 all time against Ohio State.
• Improve it to 111-18 all time at the Greenwood Tennis Center
Players Mentioned
