24th-Ranked Jayhawks Pick Up 11th Win of the Season with 4-2 Win at Houston
| #24 Kansas 4, Houston 2 John E. Hoffs Tennis Courts March 13, 2016 |
| Doubles |
| No. 1 – Despoina Vogasari/Rocio Martin (UH) def. Nina Khmelnitckaia/Janet Koch (KU) 6-3 |
| No. 2 – Maria Jose Cardona/Summer Collins (KU) def. Tina Rupert/Angela Lorenzo (UH) 6-3 |
| No. 3 – Smith Hinton/Anastasiya Rychagova (KU) def. Mino Markovic/Marnie Stokes (UH) 6-2 |
| Order of Finish: 3,1,2 |
| Singles |
| No. 1 – Anastasiya Rychagova (KU) def. Despoina Vogasari (UH) 7-5, 7-5 |
| No. 2 – Mino Markovic (UH) def. Smith Hinton (KU) 7-5, 6-3 |
| No. 3 – Janet Koch (KU) def. Rocio Martin (UH) 7-6, 6-2 |
| No. 4 – Tina Rupert (UH) def. Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) 6-4, 7-6 (4) |
| No. 5 – Summer Collins (KU) vs. Angela Lorenzo (UH) 6-4, 2-6, 1-1 unfinished |
| No. 6 – Maria Jose Cardona (KU) def. Marnie Stokes (UH) 6-4, 6-2 |
| Order of Finish: 6,2,4,3,1 |
HOUSTON — Kansas women’s tennis won its third-straight match and remained perfect in competition outside of Lawrence in 2016 as the 24th-ranked Jayhawks edged Houston, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at the John E. Hoff Tennis Courts. The win moved KU to 11-2 on the season overall. KU is off to its best record to start a season since going 17-2 during the 1998 spring season.
“Today was a tough battle against a very talented team,” said KU head coach Todd Chapman. “This weekend (wins over No. 72 Tulane and Houston) was something we can build on and learn from. We look forward to getting home and getting in a few days of practice in preparation for our match against Texas on Friday.”
The Jayhawks were able to get on the scoreboard first by winning 2-of-3 doubles matches. Sophomore Smith Hinton and freshman Anastasiya Rychagova were the first to finish as the duo teamed up for a 6-2 win over Houston’s Mino Markovic and Marnie Stokes on court three.
Houston came back to win on court one as Despoina Vogasari and Rocio Martin topped KU’s freshmen tandem of Nina Khmelnitckai and Janet Koch, 6-3. With the doubles point hanging in the balance, KU’s pair of senior Maria Jose Cardona and Summer Collins defeated UH’s Tina Rupert and Angela Lorenzo, 6-3, to secure the first point of the match for the Jayhawks.
In singles play, Kansas quickly pushed its lead to 2-0 with Cardona’s, 6-4, 6-2, win over UH’s Stokes. Cardona has now won six-straight singles matches, and is 9-1 in singles play on the season.
Houston got on the board and trimmed the KU lead to 2-1 with a win on court 2. UH’s Markovic topped Hinton, 7-5, 6-3. The Cougars then tied the match at 2-2 as Rupert defeated Khmelnitckaia, 6-4, 7-6 (4), on court 4.
KU closed out the match by winning matches on courts three and one. Koch beat UH’s Martin, 7-6, 6-2, and then Rychagova topped Vogasari, 7-5, 7-5, to seal the win for the Jayhawks.
Up Next
The Jayhawks will return home to face their second Big 12 opponent, Texas, at the Jayhawk Tennis Center on Friday, March 18 at 4 p.m.
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