Tennis To Face Colorado in Opening Round of Big 12 Tournament
April 26, 2005
Lawrence, Kan. – The University of Kansas tennis team will head to Austin, Texas, this week for the Big 12 Tournament. The No. 11 seed Jayhawks (4-16 overall, 3-8 Big 12) will take on the No. 6 seed Colorado Buffaloes (10-11 overall, 5-6 Big 12) in the first round on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
KU enters the match looking to break a seven-match losing streak after losing to No. 31 Texas A&M on Sunday, 7-0. Colorado is coming off a heartbreaking, 4-3, loss to Nebraska on April 24.This season the Jayhawks hosted Colorado on April 16 in Lawrence. In a very competitive match, Colorado edged KU, 5-2. The `Hawks earned two singles victories on the day as both junior Christine Skoda and freshman Stephanie Smith won their matches at No. 2 and No. 6 singles, respectively.
Skoda and Smith each earned 7-4 records in the Big 12 to lead the Jayhawks. Smith finished in second place in the final Big 12 standings for the No. 6 position, while Skoda finished in third at No. 2.
“Now that we are in the Big 12 Tournament, we have to forget about the records and focus on the positives from the season,” KU head coach Amy Hall-Holt said.
The winner of the KU/Colorado match will face Nebraska, the No. 3 seed on Friday at 6:00 p.m. All matches take place at the Penick-Alison Tennis Center in Austin, Texas.
KU Notes
– KU lost to Colorado last season in Boulder, Colo., 5-2. This season the Jayhawks dropped another 5-2 match to the Buffaloes on April 16 in Lawrence, Kan.
– Junior Christine Skoda was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the week of March 14-20. Skoda is 7-4 in Big 12 singles matches.
– Freshman Elizaveta Avdeeva is 6-13 on the season and 4-5 in Big 12 matches playing at the No. 1 position.
– KU is 10-10 at the No. 2 and No. 6 positions this season, as Christine Skoda and Stephanie Smith have now stepped into the No. 2 and No. 6 spots, respectively.
– The Jayhawks are 19-18 in three-set or tiebreaker matches.
– Freshman Stephanie Smith leads the team in singles with a 14-13 record in the combined fall and spring season. Smith is 7-4 in Big 12 matches and had a five-match winning streak from April 2-April 24.
– Last season, the Jayhawks lost in the second round to the No. 1 seed Texas, 4-1, after beating No. 8 Texas Tech, 4-3.
Player Notes
Elizaveta Avdeeva: Joined the team just two weeks before the spring season of play began… Avdeeva is 1-5 against ranked opponents… Notched her first collegiate victory over Yale’s Rashmee Patil, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Feb. 19… Has taken over the No. 1 singles position after going 2-0 at No. 2… Is currently 6-13 on the season and 4-7 in Big 12 matches… Currently plays No. 2 doubles with Brown and the duo boasts a 2-3 record.
Brittany Brown: Is 3-18 in singles on the season and 3-17 this spring as she has stepped into the role of No. 3 singles… Earned her first victory of the season over Yale’s Christine Alford on Feb. 19… Is 3-6 in No. 1 doubles with Lauren Hommell… Currently plays No. 2 doubles with Avdeeva… The duo has combined for a 2-3 record.
Ashley Filberth: Is 5-18 in singles competition and 4-15 this spring… Snapped an eight-match losing streak against Kansas State’s Judith Diaz with a 6-2, 7-5 victory… Teamed with Skoda to go 5-6 in doubles competition… Earned the team’s only point over Mississippi with a tiebreak victory over Carlin Cochran, 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (5)… Currently plays No. 3 doubles with Smith.
Lauren Hommell: Is 7-22 in singles and 4-16 this spring… Notched a 3-0 singles record at the Hurricane Invitational to begin the fall season… Downed SMS’s Paty Manzur in straight sets to earn her first collegiate victory on Sept. 24, 2004… Currently teams with Skoda in No. 1 doubles… Earned a match-clinching, three-set victory over Oklahoma State’s Jessica Collins, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
Anna Jackson: Saw her first action of the spring season on Feb. 19 and earned her first collegiate victory over Yale’s Olivia Nix, 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (5)… Is 1-3 in singles competition.
Luiza Loureiro: Is 3-7 on the season… Is 1-1 in the spring season playing both at No. 5 and No. 6… Is 4-7 in No. 3 doubles teamed with Avdeeva.
Christine Skoda: Owns a 9-20 record in singles on the season and 8-12 in the spring… Holds a 6-3 record in Big 12 play… Is 5-6 in doubles competition teamed with Filberth… Has spent time this season playing both No. 1 and No. 2 singles… Earned the team’s lone victory against Nebraska with a 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (3) victory over Imke Reimers… Named Big 12 Player of the Week for March 14-20 with her 2-0 singles record for the weekend… Teams with Hommell at No. 1 doubles.
Stephanie Smith: Is currently 14-13 on the season… Earned a 3-0 record to start the fall season… Picked up first collegiate victory against SMS’s Mali Gakovic… Earned a match-clinching victory over Emilie Sechaud of Illinois State on Jan. 22, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3… Defeated Oklahoma’s Chelsea Orr, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, to secure the match for the Jayhawks… Is 7-4 in Big 12 singles matches… Had a five-match winning streak from April 2-April 24.
