🎾 No. 19 Kansas Topped by No. 16 Cal, 4-3
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas sophomore Malkia Ngounoue and freshman Luniuska Delgado upset 13th-ranked Anna Bright and Haley Giavara in doubles, but it was not enough as the No. 19 Kansas women’s tennis team fell to No. 16 Cal, 4-3, Saturday to end the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Jayhawk Tennis Center.
The loss dropped the Jayhawks to 2-2 on the season while the Golden Bears evened out at 1-1 overall.
KU grabbed an early one-point edge in the match after it won the point from doubles action. Maria Toran Ribes and Julia Deming got things going for KU as they downed Cal’s Jasie Dunk and Katerina Stloukalova by the score of 6-2 on court three. The Golden Bears would grab a match, but it was Ngounoue and Delgado who earned Kansas the doubles point by knocking off nationally-ranked Bright and Giavara, 6-4.
Toran Ribes and Vasiliki Karvouni posted Kansas’ only singles wins. Toran Ribes defeated Jessica Zeynel of Cal, 7-5, 6-0, while Karvouni edged Erin Richardson in two sets, 6-3, 6-1.
Singles play featured six ITA top-100 players on courts one, two, three and four. Two of the six were No. 63 Sonia Smagina and No. 93 Ngounoue, who both were defeated by higher-seeded Cal opponents. Smagina battled No. 45 Julia Rosenqvist to the end but ultimately fell, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Ngounoue dropped two sets to No. 21 Giavara, 6-3, 6-2.
Up Next
Kansas travels to No. 24 Wake Forest for its first road trip of the dual season on Jan. 31.
RESULTS
Singles competition
#45 Julia Rosenqvist (CAL) def. #63 Sonia Smagina (KU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
#21 Haley Giavara (CAL) def. #93 Malkia Ngounoue (KU) 6-3, 6-2
#20 Valentina Ivanov (CAL) def. Luniuska Delgado (KU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
#100 Anna Bright (CAL) def. Carmen Roxana Manu (KU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
Vasiliki Karvouni (KU) def. Erin Richardson (CAL) 6-3, 6-1
Maria Toran Ribes (KU) def. Jessica Zeynel (CAL) 7-5, 6-0
Doubles competition
Ngounoue/Delgado (KU) def. #13 Anna Bright/Haley Giavara (CAL) 6-4
Valentina Ivanov/Julia Rosenqvist (CAL) def. Smagina/Karvouni (KU) 6-3
Toran Ribes/Julia Deming (KU) def. Jasie Dunk/Katerina Stloukalova (CAL) 6-2
Match Notes:
California 1-1; National ranking #16
Kansas 2-2; National ranking #19
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,2,5,4,1,3)
