🎾 Kansas Tops Northwestern in Thrilling Fashion

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Tennis team moved to 6-0 this season at the Jayhawk Tennis Center, topping Northwestern, 4-3 on Sunday in a thrilling match that went down to the wire.

Sonia Smagina clinched the win for the Jayhawks on Court 3, when she topped Justine Leong, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to secure the 4-3 win.

Kansas moved to 7-4 on the season overall, while Northwestern dropped to 5-4. Coach Todd Chapman’s team won both of its matches this weekend and have won seven of eight since an 0-3 start.

The Jayhawks had to come from behind to earn the win after dropping the doubles point to the Wildcats. Maria Titova and Malkia Ngounoue teamed up on Court 1 to win their match, 6-3. But Northwestern won the other two doubles matches with Sydney Pratt and Hannah McColgan topping Smagina and Carmen Roxana Manu, 6-4 on Court 2 and Jeong and Christina Hand beating Raphaelle Lacasse and Mariana Manyoma-Velasquez, 6-4 on Court 3.

In singles play, the Jayhawks went to work.

Titova made quick work of Clarissa Hand, winning 6-3, 6-1 on Court 1 to knot the score at one. Manyoma-Velasquez also won her match on Court 5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to put Kansas up 2-1. Northwestern earned two points when Ema Lazic topped Roxana Manu, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and Christina Hand topped Tiffany Lagarde, 7-5, 6-2 on Courts 4 and 6 respectively.

That meant Kansas had to win the last two matches being played, and the Jayhawks did just that. Malkia Ngounoue beat Pratt, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 on Court 2 to even the match at three. That set up Smagina and Leong as the last match, and Smagina pulled out a dramatic 6-4 win in the final set to earn the win for herself and the Jayhawks.

Up Next:

The Jayhawks will now hit the road to take on Oklahoma on March 11 and Oklahoma State on March 13. The next home match for Kansas is scheduled for March 18 against TCU.

Singles Results

#62 Titova (KU) def. Hand, Cl., 6-3, 6-1

#121 Ngounoue (KU) def. Pratt, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3

Smagina (KU) def. Leong, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Lazic def. Roxana Manu (KU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4

Manyoma-Velasquez (KU) def. Crowley, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1

Hand, Ch., def. Lagarde (KU), 7-5, 6-2

Doubles Results

Ngounoue/Titova (KU) def. Hand, Cl./Crowley, 6-3

Pratt/McColgan def. Smagina/Roxana Manu (KU), 6-4

Leong/Hand, Ch., def. Lacasse/Manyoma-Velasquez (KU), 6-4