Jayhawks down No. T24 Oregon, 4-1

Despoina Vogasari fist pumps after winning her singles match.

Kansas 4, #T24 Oregon 1
Jayhawk Tennis Center
Lawrence, Kan.
February 16, 2018
 

DOUBLES

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1

 SINGLES

Order of Finish: 6, 2, 5, 1

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior Anastasia Rychagova earned her third-consecutive singles win in the team’s, 4-1, victory against No. T24 Oregon Friday at the Jayhawk Tennis Center.
 
KU’s (3-2) win over the Ducks (5-3) was its second win over a ranked opponent this season after a 4-3 victory against then No. 18 Arkansas on January 27.
 
For the first time all season, the Jayhawks jumped out to a 1-0 start after winning the doubles point. Facing the No. 10-ranked duo of Alyssa Tobita and Shweta Sangwan, Nina Khmelnitckaia and Rychagova took a 5-3 lead after the Ducks double faulted on court one. They then came back from 40-0 to win the game and match.
 
In singles, No. 2-ranked Rychagova began her first set by taking a commanding, 4-0, lead over Tobita on court one. After winning the first set, 6-2, Rychagova fell in the second set, 6-4, against Tobita. Showing her dominance, Rychagova blanked the Duck, 6-0, in the third set to win the match, 6-2, 4-6, 6-0, and clinch the overall match for the Jayhawks, 4-1.
 
Battling next to Rychagova on the No. 2 court, Despoina Vogasari outlasted Sangwan in the first set, coming out on top, 6-4. In a tight second set, Vogasari edged Sangwan for a, 6-4, 6-3, match win, putting Kansas up, 3-0.
 
“I mean this seriously, as of Wednesday we didn’t know if we’d be able to play the match today with five girls on the team with the flu,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “We just found a way (Friday). I’m really proud of the effort and desire the girls played with. They found reasons to be successful. Credit to them and that was a big step in the right direction.”
 
Competing on court six, Tatiana Nikolaeva allowed Paiton Wagner only one game in the first set, winning it, 6-1. Wagner won three-straight games in the second set to make the score, 5-4. Nikolaeva ultimately won the match, 6-1, 6-4, giving Kansas a 2-0 lead.
 
Julia Eshet made quick work of Janet Koch on court three, winning the first set, 6-2. Not ready for her match to be over, Koch rallied in the second set to take a 6-3 victory and force a third set. After going down, 1-0, in the third set, Koch tied it and led the rest of the way until the match was stopped at 2-6, 6-3, 5-4 due to the Jayhawks winning the final point.
 
Khmelnitckaia found herself down, 4-0, to Daniela Nasser on court four. The Jayhawk was able to bring the first set within one at 5-4, but was not able to finish, dropping it, 6-4. Khmelnitckaia battled in a toe-to-toe second set to earn a, 6-4, win and a third set. Khmelnitckaia took a 2-0 lead in her third set, but did not finish due to the match concluding.
 
Vogasari and Maria Toran Ribes played a back-and-forth match with Julia Lilien and Paiton Wagner at the No. 3 spot before taking the match, 6-4.
 
“We’ve been working on doubles for the past couple of weeks,” said Chapman. “I think at one and three doubles we played really well. We played together. I thought we played aggressive, whether we won the points or not, we were trying to dictate and play to win instead of waiting for our opponent to make moves. I think the mindset we played with today was much better.”
 
After dropping her first set, 6-3, against Lilien, Toran Ribes breezed through her second set with a 6-1 victory to send the match to a third set. Toran Ribes could not keep her momentum going in the third set, falling to Lilien in three, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, and bringing the overall match to 3-1.
 
Playing on court two, Koch and Nikoleava won the first game of their match, but were not able to get it going against Rose and Eshet, falling 6-1.
 
Next, Kansas will host William & Mary at 12 p.m., Sunday at the Jayhawk Tennis Center.
 
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