Jayhawks Can't Overcome No. 23 Tulsa

No. 23 Tulsa 5, Kansas 2
Jayhawk Tennis Center // Lawrence, Kan.
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Freshman Anastasija Trubica won her first career dual singles match Sunday, defeating Tulsa’s Carol Benito, 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles Results
1. No. 9 Vickers/Enrique (TU) def. Cardona/Windom (KU) 8-0
2. Farley/Saarteinen (TU) def. Fournier/Trubica (KU) 8-7
3. Sant’Anna/Kuricova (TU) def. Los/Ludueña (KU) 8-5
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles Results
1. No. 124 Vickers (TU) def. Cardona (KU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Enrique (TU) def. Ludueña (KU) 6-1, 6-2
3. Farley (TU) def. Los (KU) 6-4, 7-5
4. Windom (KU) def. Sant’Anna (TU) 7-6, 0-6, 7-5
5.

Saarteinen (TU) def. Dreyer (KU)

2-6, 6-0, 6-1
6. Trubica (KU) def. Benito (TU) 7-5, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6

Feb. 10, 2013

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s tennis team couldn’t overcome an injury to its top player during Sunday’s match against No. 23 Tulsa, falling in a 5-2 battle to the Golden Hurricane at Jayhawk Tennis Center.

Junior transfer Haley Fournier—the Jayhawks’ No. 1 singles player—was forced to sit out singles play due to an undisclosed recurring injury. The rest of the team’s singles lineup shifted up one position against Tulsa, with freshman Anastasija Trubica seeing her first dual singles action at the No. 6 spot.

“We were really impressed with (Trubica’s) performance in doubles and with her pulling out her singles,” Kansas coach Amy Hall-Hold said. “It’s the third match of the year. Yes, we had opportunities and we didn’t step up to those opportunities, but I feel that the girls are definitely learning and getting better each day.”

Tulsa swept the Jayhawks in doubles play before taking the No. 1 and 2 singles matches in straight sets to build a quick 3-0 lead. The Hurricane features the nation’s No. 9-ranked doubles duo in Samantha Vickers and Isaura Enrique, as well as the No. 124 singles player (Vickers).

Kansas had an opportunity to come back with competitive matches in the lower half of singles play, but Tulsa clinched the victory with Michelle Farley’s 6-4, 7-5 win over KU junior Paulina Los in the No. 3 match. The Jayhawks won two of the three remaining matches—junior Dylan Windom defeated Maria Sant’Anna at the No. 4 position, 7-6, 0-6, 7-5, while Trubica beat Carol Benito, 7-5, 6-2.

“We definitely feel like we’re a team that’s going in the right direction,” Hall-Holt said. “This loss to a 23rd-ranked team is disappointing. Every loss is disappointing, but I think that we’re right there against some of the top players in the nation.”

The perennial Conference USA powerhouse Golden Hurricane have now defeated Kansas seven times in a row, with the most recent KU victory coming in 2006. As a team, Tulsa had advanced past the first round of the Division I NCAA Championships in each of the previous three seasons.

Kansas drops to 2-1 for the 2013 dual season with the loss, while Tulsa improves to 6-2.

UP NEXT: The Jayhawks will travel to Charleston, S.C., for matches against Charleston Southern and No. 66 College of Charleston on Feb. 15 and 16, respectively. The next home match is scheduled for Feb. 23 against Kentucky.

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