KU Advances to Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals with 4-0 Win over Iowa State

April 24, 2008

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – In its second dominant performance over Iowa State in less than a week, the University of Kansas tennis team moved into the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championshps with a 4-0 victory over the Cyclones on Thursday.

The Jayhawks will take on the No. 4 seed Colorado at noon on Friday for a spot in the semifinals.

“You want to build confidence in your first match and that’s one thing that I told the girls to come out and here and play confident but don’t be overly confident, head coach Amy Hall-Holt said.

“The girls came out and put their games on the line and we came out successful 4-0. I’m very proud of the girls and their performance today.”

KU, despite a competitive performance by ISU, opened the dual by taking two doubles matches to take the early 1-0 lead. First to finish was Kansas’ No. 3 tandem of junior Yuliana Svistun and freshman Magdalena Tokarczyk, which handled the Cyclones’ pair of Alyssa Palen and Liza Wischer, 8-3.

The point was then clinched by the Jayhawks’ No. 2 pair of senior Lauren Hommell and sophomore Kunigunda Dorn, which defeated Iowa State’s Kara Hickey and Caitlin Loprinzi, 8-3. The victory was the tandem’s third in a row.

Kansas’ No. 1 pair of senior Elizaveta Avdeeva and junior Edina Horvath was up in its match as well when play was stopped.

The Jayhawks then ran away with the dual in singles play. Dorn quickly put KU up 2-0 with a dominating 6-0, 6-0 win over Palen in the No. 4 match. The Sopron, Hungary, native has now won three matches in a row.

Svistun was nearly as impressive in her No. 5 match as she defeated Wischer, 6-0, 6-1, to put the Jayhawks on the verge of clinching the dual. Svistuns’ victory was the Ufa, Russia, native’s 10th in dual play this season and fifth in her last six matches.

Horvath then sent her team into the quarterfinals by wrapping up a victory in the No. 3 position against Loprinzi, 6-1, 6-2. Horvath’s win was her team-leading 12th in dual play.

Avdeeva and Hommell were also each up a set when the dual was clinched.

Kansas has now won 30-straight duals against Iowa State, including a 7-0 win over the Cyclones last Sunday in Lawrence.

KU will look to avenge a loss at Colorado earlier this season on Friday.

“Colorado is a very tough, aggressive team. We’ve got to come out with a lot of confidence and a lot of energy, Hall-Holt said.

“This is what we’ve been working for all year. I think the level of confidence for our girls is real high right now. I think we’re ready for them.”

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