Kansas Tennis Hits the Road for First Outdoor Matches
March 2, 2012
TULSA, Okla.—Carrying an undefeated 7-0 record, the University of Kansas women’s tennis team travels to Tulsa, Okla., this weekend for a pair of dual matches. The Jayhawks will take on No. 40 North Texas (8-4) Saturday and No. 30 Tulsa (7-2) Sunday. Both matches are set to begin at noon and will be played on the outdoor courts at Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
A Jayhawk in the Rankings
Newcomer Maria Belen Ludueña made her first appearance on the Campbell/ITA Singles Rankings this week. The freshman from Curico, Chile, is ranked 118th as a singles competitor on the list that was release Feb. 28 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Ludueña is currently undefeated in singles play this spring, and all of her victories have come in two sets.
Last Time Out
With continued dominance in singles competition from sophomore Claire Dreyer and Ludueña, the University of Kansas women’s tennis team defeated the Montana Grizzlies Sunday in Des Moines.
Kansas once again took the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Ludueña and sophomore Dylan Windom grabbed a win over UM’s Heather Davidson and Laurence Pelchat, 8-5, while junior Monica Pezzotti and sophomore Paulina Los won 8-4 against Sasha Carter and Maddy Murray.
In singles play, KU picked up wins from the No. 3 through No. 6 spots. Ludueña, a newcomer from Curico, Chile, won at the third position against Ashley Mackey, 6-1, 6-2. St. Louis native Dreyer defeated Murray, 6-4 in the first set before blanking the Montana athlete in the second, 6-0. Both Jayhawks remain undefeated in singles play so far this spring.
Scouting the Opponents
This marks the first weekend that the Jayhawks will face two ranked opponents. North Texas has won three matches in a row and six of its last seven, including victories over No. 53 Kansas State, No. 44 TCU, No. 50 Cal Poly and FIU, the defending Sun Belt Champs.
The Golden Hurricanes also feature two ranked singles players as No. 67 Samantha Vickers and No. 82 Anastasia Erofeeva occupy the top-two singles slots. The team had won five of the last six matches, including victories over then-No. 31 Oklahoma and then-No. 53 Kansas State.
Up Next
After this weekend, the Jayhawks will return home to begin Big 12 Conference play. KU will host No. 55 Oklahoma Friday at 3 p.m., and No. 53 Oklahoma State Saturday at noon. Both matches will be at Jayhawk Tennis Center and are free and open to the public.
