LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 37 Kansas cruised to dominant 4-0 sweeps over South Dakota and West Virginia on Friday at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. Kansas has now won 10 matches at home this season.
Kansas improved to 11-9 on the season and 6-4 in Big 12 play, while South Dakota fell to 5-12, and West Virginia dropped to 7-10 on the season and 1-9 in Big 12 play.
"I think today was important," Kansas head coach Todd Chapman said. "We re-established momentum and bounced back from a tough weekend last week. I was impressed with the girls and how we competed and how our composure was today. That was key, because West Virginia competed really well and made us work and earn it. I'm just so happy with the response from the girls today."
The Jayhawks opened the day with a dominant 4-0 sweep over South Dakota. In doubles action, Kansas took two courts to win the doubles point and took early momentum in the match. On court one, the pair of Heike Janse van Vuuren and Meg McCarty took down Kayleigh Didderiens and Cassy Marra 6-3, and on court two, Kyoka Kubo and Meriem Ben Ezzedine defeated Keta Shavishvili and Anna Medvyedyeva 6-4 to give Kansas the 1-0 lead.Â
Kinley VanPelt and Simryn Jacob played as a pair for the first time this season on court three against Selena Bird and Ava Doddridge, but were losing in a tight 4-5 match before it went unfinished.
The Jayhawks kept their hot start moving into singles play, winning three courts with ease to take the match over the Coyotes. On court one, No. 67 Kubo defeated Bird in straight-sets 6-1, 6-3. On court six, VanPelt picked up her first singles win of the season by taking down Doddridge 6-2, 6-0. Court three was the decider for Kansas, as Ben Ezzedine was leading Medvyedyeva 6-4, 3-0 before Medvyedyeva retired from the match, granting Ben Ezzedine the win.Â
Three courts went unfinished in the match, with Arystanbekova leading Didderiens 6-3, 4-0, Cho leading Shavishvili 6-4, 5-3, and McCarty leading her match against Marra 6-2, 3-2.
Later in the afternoon, Kansas resumed Big 12 play by hosting West Virginia. The Jayhawks stayed strong through doubles play, taking two courts and were leading in the other court en route to winning the doubles point. On court three, Kubo and Ben Ezzedine won their second match of the day by defeating Lyla Byers and Sosanna Malaak in a dominant 6-1 match. Court one was the winning court for Kansas, as Arystanbekova and Putilina took down Audrey Moutama and Julie Bousseau 6-4.
Court two featured Kansas' van Vuuren and McCarty, as the pair were leading their match 5-4 over WVU's Lucia Tognoni and Laura Morillo before the match went unfinished.
The Jayhawks rolled into singles play, feeding off of the momentum from doubles, grabbing two courts in straight-set victories to take a commanding 3-0 lead. On court five, McCarty defeated Tognoni 6-2, 6-0 to improve to 8-5 on the season. No. 67 Kubo picked up her 10th win of the season on court one, as she took down Moutama 6-3, 6-3 to give Kansas a 3-0 lead in the match.
Kansas clinched the match on court three, as Arystanbekova picked up a hard fought 6-4, 7-5 win over Bousseau to give the Jayhawks the 4-0 win.
Three matches went unfinished, with van Vuuren battling Villanueva 6-4, 3-6, 2-2, Ben Ezzedine leading Byers 6-4, 4-6, 1-1, and Putilina leading Malaak 7-5, 4-4.
UP NEXT
Kansas will host Cincinnati for the Jayhawks' Senior Day match on Sunday, April 5 at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. The match is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. CT.
Results
vs. South Dakota
Doubles:Â
- van Vuuren/McCarty (KU) def. Didderiens/Marra (USD), 6-3
- Kubo/Ben Ezzedine (KU) def. Shavishvili/Medvyedyeva (USD), 6-4
- Bird/Doddridge (USD) vs. VanPelt/Jacob (KU), 5-4 (unf.)
Singles:Â
- No. 67 Kubo (KU) def. Bird (USD), 6-1, 6-3
- Arystanbekova (KU) vs. Didderiens (USD), 6-3, 4-0 (unf.)
- Ben Ezzedine (KU) def. Medvyedyeva (USD), 6-4, 3-0 (retired)
- Cho (KU) vs. Shavishvili (USD), 6-4, 5-3 (unf.)
- McCarty (KU) vs. Marra (USD), 6-2, 3-2 (unf.)
- VanPelt (KU) def. Doddridge (USD), 6-2, 6-0
vs. West Virginia
Doubles:Â
- Arystanbekova/Putilina (KU) def. Moutama/Bousseau (WVU), 6-4
- van Vuuren/McCarty (KU) vs. Tognoni/Morillo (WVU), 5-4 (unf.)
- Kubo/Ben Ezzedine (KU) def. Byers/Malaak (WVU), 6-1
Singles:Â
- No. 67 Kubo (KU) def. Moutama (WVU), 6-3, 6-3
- van Vuuren (KU) vs. Villanueva (WVU), 6-4, 3-6, 2-2 (unf.)
- Arystanbekova (KU) def. Bousseau (WVU), 6-4, 7-5
- Ben Ezzedine (KU) vs. Byers (WVU), 6-4, 4-6, 1-1 (unf.)
- McCarty (KU) def. Tognoni (WVU), 6-2, 6-0
- Putilina (KU) vs. Malaak (WVU), 7-5, 4-4 (unf.)