Cowgirls Set to Host No. 6 Pepperdine

Match Notes (PDF)

The Basics

With three top-15 victories in its first four matches, a challenging schedule continues for No. 3 Oklahoma State when it hosts No. 6 Pepperdine on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Stillwater. The Cowgirls are coming off a 2-0 trip to ITA Kickoff Weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, collecting wins over No. 12 UCLA and Old Dominion. The 4-0 start for OSU is its best since 2020, and a win on Saturday would give the Cowgirls their fourth win against a top-15 ranked team, which would be their most such wins in a season since 2017.

Following the Action
Saturday's match between top-six ranked teams will air on ESPN+ using CrackedRacquets' CrossCourt Cast. Additionally, live scoring will be available at the following link: okstate.statbroadcast.com.

In the Rankings
Oklahoma State remained No. 3 in the latest batch of ITA rankings, marking its second-consecutive week in the top three. The No. 3 ranking continues to be the highest ranking in program history as the Cowgirls appeared in the rankings for the 35th consecutive week. OSU's opponent this weekend, Pepperdine, ranked at No. 6, setting up Oklahoma State's fourth top-15 battle in its first five matches.

Series History
Oklahoma State will meet Pepperdine for the 10th time in program history, holding a 5-4 advantage over the Waves. The teams will compete for the fifth consecutive season, splitting the last four contests. In each of the last four meetings, both teams have been ranked, with Pepperdine having been ranked in the top 11 at the time of the match each year. The Cowgirls are 2-0 against Pepperdine at home, collecting wins at the Greenwood Tennis Center in 2020 and 2022. All but one match between the teams has come in the regular season, with Pepperdine beating OSU in the first round of the 1991 NCAA Tournament.

Battle Tested
Four matches into the season, Oklahoma State has put together one of the most impressive resumes in the country, vaulting it to its highest ranking in program history at No. 3. The Cowgirls were tested out of the gates, collecting a tightly contested home win over No. 5 Michigan to open the season. They followed that with a dominant 4-1 win over No. 12 Ohio State to complete an opening weekend sweep on their home court. The gauntlet continued a week later for OSU, facing No. 13 UCLA on neutral courts. After losing the doubles point and the first singles point, the Cowgirls battled back to win, 4-3, in dramatic fashion. Big 12 Player of the Week Anastasiya Komar clinched the match with a comeback win over the 2023 NCAA singles champion Tian Fangran to secure the Oklahoma State victory. After a 4-0 rout of Old Dominion, the Cowgirls now set their sights on perhaps their toughest foe yet as No. 6 Pepperdine visits Stillwater on Saturday.

Receiving Recognition
After an impressive showing at ITA Kickoff weekend, Anastasiya Komar became the third-consecutive Cowgirl to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors. Komar earned the award after going 3-0 on the weekend, including a match-clinching, comeback victory over the defending NCAA singles champion to beat No. 13 UCLA. It's the first time in Komar's career she has received the honor, and she joines Raquel Gonzalez and Lucia Peyre as Cowgirls to earn the recognition so far this season.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Improve it to 5-0, giving it its best start to a season since 2020.
• Give it four wins against top 15 ranked opponents, its most in a season since 2017, doing so in just five matches.
• Give it four ranked wins in its first five matches for the first time since 2013.
• Improve it to 6-4 all-time against Pepperdine.
• Improve it to 110-18 all-time at the Greenwood Tennis Center.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Raquel Gonzalez

Anastasiya Komar

Lucia Peyre

Oklahoma State University Athletics