Kansas Rolls Past UMKC, 7-0

Feb. 10, 2010

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Sophomore Ekaterina Morozova pounded 10 winners to defeat UMKC’s Eva Dalvai and lead the Jayhawk tennis team to a 7-0 win against UMKC for the fourth time in as many meetings. KU has never lost a single match to UMKC.

In the first set, Morozova came out with a hot 3-0 start, but both players stayed on serve for the next five games. With a 5-3 advantage, Morozova claimed the set with a serve that Dalvai could not control.

Dalvai won the first game of the second set to go up 1-0, but Morozova fired back to finish the match 6-3, 6-1.

“I think I played well,” said Morozova. “I came out with a lot of energy and was ready to fight for every ball. She played really well, so I really wanted to come out and win every point.”

At No. 2 singles, Freshman Sara Lazarevic won her first match of the season with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of UMKC’s Chelsea Horner. Junior Maria Martinez, sophomore Erin Wilbert and freshman Vika Khanevskaya all recorded straight-set victories as well.

Senior Kunigunda Dorn rallied from being down a set to beat UMKC’s Laura Bouet, 4-6, 7-6(2), 10-4 at the No. 3 spot.

In doubles play, Wilbert and Lazarevic paired up at the No. 1 spot to defeat UMKC’s Dalvai and Horner, 8-3. The UMKC duo struggled to return Wilbert and Lazarevic’s serves, resulting in a 1-0 lead to open the set. The Jayhawks then broke serve and fought their way to a 5-0 start and the Kangaroos could overcome the deficit.

“We came out with a lot of energy and fight today,” said head coach Amy Hall-Holt. “It really boosts our confidence to come out and beat a good UMKC team.”

At No. 2 doubles, Morozova and Khanevskaya won 8-2 and Martinez and Dzuba were victorious at the No. 3 spot with an 8-2 decision.

The Jayhawks will be back in action for a Valentine’s Day double-header versus Iowa and South Dakota on Sunday, Feb. 14. KU will take the court against Iowa at 10 a.m. CT and South Dakota at 3 p.m. CT at the Jayhawk Tennis Facility, where admission is free to the public.

Check back with www.kuathletics.com/tennis for updates.

COMPLETE RESULTS

DOUBLES

1.) Wilbert/Lazarevic (KU) def. Dalvai/Horner (UMKC), 8-3

2.) Morozova/Khanevskaya (KU) def. Lisenby/Ball (UMKC), 8-2

3.) Martinez/Dzuba (KU) def. Yakominich/Bouet (UMKC), 8-2

SINGLES

1.) Ekaterina Morozova (KU) def. Eva Dalvai (UMKC), 6-3, 6-1

2.) Sara Lazarevic (KU) def. Chelsea Horner (UMKC), 6-2, 6-3

3.) Kunigunda Dorn (KU) def. Laura Bouet (UMKC), 3-6, 7-6(2), 10-4

4.) Maria Martinez (KU) def. Suzan Llisenby (UMKC), 6-0, 6-1

5.) Erin Wilbert (KU) def. Jillian Yakominich (UMKC), 6-0, 6-0

6.) Vika Khanevskaya (KU) def. Jessica Ball (UMKC), 6-2, 6-0