Kansas Picks Up Second-Straight Road Win with 4-2 Victory Over Iowa State
| #34 Kansas 4, Iowa State 2 Ames Racquet and Fitness Center April 10, 2016 |
| Doubles |
| No. 1 – Nina Khmelnitckaia/Janet Koch (KU) def. Samantha Budai/Liza Buss (ISU) 6-3 |
| No. 2 – Anna Bonadonna/Alejandra Galvis (ISU) def. Anastasiya Rychagova/Smith Hinton (KU) 3-6 |
| No. 3 – Ana Gasparovic/Regina Espindola (ISU) def. (KU) Forfeit |
| Order of Finish: 3,1,2 |
| Singles |
| No. 1 – Anastasiya Rychagova (KU) def. Samantha Budai (ISU) 6-1, 6-2 |
| No. 2 – Smith Hinton (KU) vs. Liza Buss (ISU) 6-4, 1-6, 2-1 unfinished |
| No. 3 – Janet Koch (KU) def. Alejandra Galvis (ISU) 6-1, 6-1 |
| No. 4 – Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. Regina Espindola (ISU) 7-5, 6-2 |
| No. 5 – Maria Jose Cardona (KU) def. Annabella Bonadonna (ISU) 6-3, 7-5 |
| No. 6 – Claudia Toledo (ISU) def. (KU) Forfeit |
| Order of Finish: 6,3,1,4,5 |
AMES, Iowa—Kansas improved its already impressive all-time series with Iowa State to, 42-3, after winning, 4-2, over the Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday at the Ames Racquet and Fitness Center. The win boosts the Jayhawks spring record to, 14-5, overall and 4-2 in the Big 12.
“Today was tough mentally and physically,” said Kansas head coach Todd Chapman. “We really grew up this weekend and handled adversity well. Playing a player down (Summer Collins, illness) all weekend and today losing the doubles point put us in a hole. I thought the girls responded and competed really well to dig ourselves out of a 2-0 deficit. I am proud of the team we are becoming and that is a group of tough competitors. We look to use this week to get healthy and will hopefully be at full strength going into our match with Kansas State next Saturday.”
Coming into the match, the Jayhawks were at a slight disadvantage as sophomore Summer Collins was out the lineup due to illness. For that reason, Kansas forfeited in the doubles competition on court three. Already down 1-0 in doubles play, the Jayhawks made moves to come back with a win from freshmen Janet Koch and Nina Khmelnitckaia. The pair defeated ISU’s Samantha Budai and Liza Buss, 6-3, on court one.
With the doubles point hanging in the balance, freshman Anastasiya Rychagova and sophomore Smith Hinton accrued just their second loss of the spring season and as the Jayhawks dropped the doubles point to the Cyclones. Rychagova and Hinton fell to ISU’s Annabelle Bonadonna and Alejandra Galvis, 3-6, on court two.
In singles play, the Jayhawks forfeited another point to ISU as Collins was unable to participate in the match on court six, making the overall score 2-0 in favor of the Cyclones. Even with the automatic loss on court six, the Jayhawks prevailed by winning four-straight singles courts in a row.
First to finish was Koch on court three with a swift defeat of Galvis, 6-1, 6-1. On court one, Rychagova only dropped three games to ISU’s Budai to win the match, 6-1, 6-2.
With the overall match tied at 2-2, Khmelnitckaia brought the Jayhawks ahead by winning, 7-5, 6-2, over Regina Espindola on court four. The Jayhawks were leading the match, 3-2, when senior Maria Jose Cardona closed the chances of a Cyclone redemption by defeating Bonadonna, 6-3, 7-5, on court five and secured the win for Kansas at 4-2.
UP NEXT
Kansas will conclude its six-match road swing with a trip to in-state rival Kansas State for the annual Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday, April 16. First serve in Manhattan will take place at 12 p.m.
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