🎾 Kansas Set to Compete Against Wichita State and Kansas State

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s tennis team will split their busy weekend with matches against Wichita State and Kansas State this weekend. The Jayhawks will travel to Wichita for a match against the Shockers on Saturday, March 20 at 1 p.m., before Kansas returns to the Jayhawk Tennis Center to host Kansas State on Sunday, March 21 at 2 p.m.

Back on February 14, the Jayhawks defeated the Shockers 4-3 at home. Kansas shined in singles play after Carmen Roxana Manu earned the first point for her team, winning her sets 6-3 and 6-2. The Jayhawks would go up 2-1 after Vasiliki Karvouni won in straight sets 6-1 and 6-1. Wichita State tied the overall score at 2-2 prematurely, however Kansas quickly took the lead back when Sonia Smagina won her match in straight sets 7-5 and 6-3. The Jayhawks clinched the win when Julia Deming won her match with set scores of 6-3 and 6-4.

The Jayhawks will be looking to bounce back after dropping last weekend’s pair of road matches against TCU (3-4) and Texas Tech (4-0).

In the weekend opener at TCU, Kansas started off slow after falling behind in doubles. Court three held Malkia Ngounoue and Deming who were paced to take their match with a lead of 3-4, but would go unfinished. The Jayhawks battled back into contention in singles play. Deming made quick work of her opponent, finishing her sets 6-1. Smagina followed in her teammate’s footsteps and completely dominated her opponent on court one, 6-3 and 6-1. TCU tacked on a pair of victories to regain the lead at 3-2. On court three, Manu defeated the Horned Frog’s Mercedes Aristegui in a tightly contested battle of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Coming down to the wire, the fate of the match rested on court five where Tiffany Lagarde took on TCU’s Stevie Kennedy. In the opening set, Kennedy raced out to a 6-2 finish. Lagarde returned the favor in the second, taking it 6-3. TCU’s Kennedy fought her way through to a 7-6 finish to aid the Horned Frogs to a 4-3 victory on the afternoon.

The Sunday finale was paced by the Red Raiders’ 4-0 shutout of the Jayhawks. Much like TCU’s doubles matches, Texas Tech was able to take the point through victories on courts one and three. Ngounoue and Deming were on pace to take their set at 3-5 but would go unfinished again. Court three concluded first with Margarita Skriabina taking both matches at 6-1 over Manu. Smagina was bested by Mays at 6-2 and 6-1. On court four, Nell Miller for the Red Raiders defeated Karvouni 6-1 and 6-3. Ngounoue paced singles play for the Jayhawks after dominating the opening match 6-3 over Staines. She was close to taking the match when it concluded at 5-2 to be unfinished.

Following this weekend’s matchups, Kansas will travel to take on West Virginia in Morgantown on March 26 at 1 p.m.