Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
UCLA *
Cowgirls Set for ITA Kickoff Weekend
January 25, 2024 | Cowgirl Tennis
Box Score
The Basics
Coming off an impressive opening weekend, Oklahoma State's women's tennis team will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete as a part of ITA Kickoff Weekend for the third consecutive season. The Cowgirls will open against No. 12 UCLA on Saturday at 11 a.m., before taking on Iowa State or Old Dominion on Sunday, depending on Saturday's results. The winner of the four-team ITA Kickoff Weekend bracket will earn a berth into the ITA National Indoor Championships in Seattle, Wash., on Feb. 8-12. OSU is coming off wins over then No. 4 Michigan and then No. 14 Ohio State to open its season, moving it into the top three in the ITA weekly rankings.
Following the Action
All matches during ITA Kickoff Weekend in Des Moines will be livestreamed at the following link: https://swing.tennis/teams/cyclones/stream. Additionally, live scoring will be available at the following link: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498698.
In the Rankings
Oklahoma State rose to No. 3 in the ITA rankings after wins against then No. 4 Michigan and then No. 14 Ohio State. The top-three ranking is the highest in program history for the Cowgirls, adding to an already impressive list of accomplishments for this year's team that includes the highest preseason ranking in program history (5) and the highest individually ranked Cowgirl in program history (Ange Oby Kajuru at No. 2).
Series History
Oklahoma State will take on UCLA for the seventh time in program history on Saturday, with four of the previous meetings coming in the last six seasons. The Bruins have won four of six meetings between the teams, but OSU won the most recent during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls are an astounding 45-1 all-time against Iowa State, with the lone loss coming last season, while this would be the first meeting with Old Dominion in program history.
Setting the Tone
Oklahoma State put together one of the most impressive opening weekends in program history, beating two ranked teams to begin its season for the first time in the Chris Young era. On Friday, the Cowgirls knocked off then No. 4 Michigan, 4-2, in dramatic fashion. After taking the doubles point, OSU got singles wins from Anastasiya Komar and Lucia Peyre before Ayumi Miyamoto closed out the win in a three-set thriller on court five. On Sunday, No. 14 Ohio State took an early lead by claiming the doubles points, but the Cowgirls responded by sweeping singles on their way to a dominant 4-1 win.
Receiving Recognition
Two weeks into the season, the Cowgirls have already had two players receive Big 12 Player of the Week honors. Raquel Gonzalez earned the award for the first time in her career after going undefeated and winning her draw at the Freeman Memorial Invitational two weekends ago. Lucia Peyre also received the honor for the first time in her career this week, going undefeated without dropping a set in the number three position for Oklahoma State in its two top-15, season-opening wins over No. 4 Michigan and No. 14 Ohio State.
Oklahoma State Wins Would...
• Advance it to the ITA National Indoor Championships for the first time since 2021.
• Give it its best start to a season since 2020 at 4-0.
• Begin its season with three-straight ranked wins for the first time in the Chris Young era.
• Improve it to 3-4 all-time against UCLA.
• Improve it to 46-1 all-time against Iowa State.
• Improve it to 1-0 all-time against Old Dominion.
Players Mentioned
