Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Tennessee
Cowgirls Set to Host Tennessee in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
May 09, 2024 | Cowgirl Tennis
Match Notes (PDF)
The Basics
The Greenwood Tennis Center is set to play host to its first-ever Sweet 16 match this weekend as No. 1 Oklahoma State hosts No. 16 Tennessee as part of an NCAA Super-Regional Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The 29-0 Cowgirls are making their sixth Sweet 16 appearance in program history (all coming since 2015) and are looking to advance to the Elite 8 for the third time in school history.
Following the Action
Cracked Racquets will broadcast the match on Saturday as part of its CrossCourt Cast on its YouTube channel, which can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F7jwxuhUJw. Additionally, live scoring for the match can be found at the following link: https://ioncourt.com/ties/663a78f979b3e3036c26e477.
In the Rankings
Oklahoma State was ranked No. 1 in the ITA Division I rankings for the 12th-consecutive week on Tuesday. In the latest singles rankings, Ange Oby Kajuru appeared at No. 3, while Anastasiya Komar came in at No. 18, Lucia Peyre at No. 46, Safiya Carrington at No. 72 and Ayumi Miyamoto at No. 84. In doubles, Komar and Kajuru checked in at No. 3, while Komar and Raquel Gonzalez appeared at No. 37.
Collecting Hardware
In 2024, Oklahoma State has now captured its first-ever ITA Indoor National Championship, its first Big 12 Regular Season Championships since 2017 and its first Big 12 Tournament Championship since 2016. In last week's Big 12 Tournament, the Cowgirls won the title in dominant fashion, outscoring opponents 12-1 in three matches, including shutouts in the semifinal vs. No. 25 Texas Tech and in the final against No. 7 Texas.
Matchup History
This will be the third all-time meeting between Oklahoma State and Tennessee, and the first in the postseason. The Cowgirls got an 8-1 win at a neutral site in the first meeting in 1989, but Tennessee evened the series with a 5-2 win on neutral courts in 2001.
The Perfect Season
Oklahoma State has exceeded what were already high expectations for its 2024 season, producing the only undefeated regular season in program history while sitting at 29-0, but the story doesn't end there. Sixteen of the 29 wins have come against top-30 ranked opponents, with seven coming against teams that were ranked in the top-10 at the time of the match. Going by the latest ITA rankings, the Cowgirls have beaten No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 8 UCLA, No. 9 Texas (3x), No. 12 Ohio State, No. 17 Auburn and No. 18 Oklahoma. The Cowgirls currently boast eight wins over teams ranked in the top-10 and 13 wins over top-25 teams. The seven wins against top-10 opponents on the season is yet another program record that was set in 2024.
Receiving Recognition
The Big 12 announced its year-end awards last week and Oklahoma State was well-represented. Ange Oby Kajuru became the third Cowgirl in program history to be named Big 12 Player of the Year, and the first since Bunyawi Thamchaiwat in 2022. LSU-transfer Anastasiya Komar was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year while Chris Young garnered Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career. Komar and Kajuru were unanimous selections to the All-Big 12 first teams in singles and doubles, and Lucia Peyre joined then on the singles first team. Safiya Carrington and Ayumi Miyamoto we selected to the All-Big 12 second team singles, while Miyamoto and Raquel Gonzalez earned second team doubles honors.
Asserting Dominance
Not only has Oklahoma State made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament without suffering a loss, but it has done so in dominant fashion. The Cowgirls are up to 15 shutouts on the season, including two during the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. In its last six matches, OSU has outscored its opponents 24-1, including four-straight 4-0 victories dating back to the semifinal of the Big 12 Championships. Individually, Kristina Novak has put together an 18-match win streak while Ange Oby Kajuru has won her last 15, and the doubles pairing of Ayumi Miyamoto and Raquel Gonzalez and strung together 10-consecutive wins, which has helped the Cowgirls win the doubles point in their last 11 matches.
Notable Streaks and Trends
• Oklahoma State has won the doubles point in 22 of its last 25 matches and 25 of 29 on the season.
• In singles and doubles, the Cowgirls are a combined 31-9 against nationally ranked opponents.
• Out of the No. 4 and No. 6 spots, OSU is a combined 39-4.
• Kristina Novak is 18-0 to begin the season and 4-0 against ranked opponents.
• Ange Oby Kajuru has won 15-consecutive singles matches, making her 19-3 on the season with six ranked wins.
• After starting the season 0-2, Anastasiya Komar and Ange Oby Kajuru have won 18 of their last 20 doubles matches from the No. 1 position.
• Oklahoma State is 22-0 in doubles in its last 11 dual matches.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Advance it to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history (2016, 2017).
• Improve it to 30-0, marking the second-most wins in a season in program history (32, 1982).
• Improve it to 17-0 at home, marking the second-most home wins in a season in program history (18, 2016)
• Improve it to 20-1 all-time in postseason matches at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
• Improve it to 14-0 this season against teams ranked in the top-25.
Players Mentioned
