No. 17 Jayhawks to play last road match
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 17 Kansas women’s tennis team hits the road for its final away match of the regular season against in-state rival and No. 36-ranked Kansas State at 1 p.m., Sunday at the Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.
Heading into the weekend, the Jayhawks are 13-4 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats sit at 14-6 overall and 4-2 against Big 12 foes.
“We have a tough task in front of us Sunday,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “K-State is one of the most improved teams in the country. Playing them on the road at their home courts will be a tough task for our team. The exciting part is we know we’re going to be challenged, pushed and tested. It’s a really good opportunity to see where we are and what we need to get better at.”
KU is led by senior Despoina Vogasari, who is the No. 67-ranked singles player in the nation. Vogasari is currently playing at the top spot for Kansas and holds an 11-4 mark in dual matches. The Athens, Greece native has won eight-consecutive matches to tie her career-best win streak for the third time.
In doubles, Vogasari and sophomore Maria Toran Ribes have won six-straight at the No. 3 position and own a 10-2 record since teaming up in mid-February. The No. 84-ranked duo of junior Nina Khmelnitckaia and sophomore Tatiana Nikolaeva have won two matches since teaming back up this season on court one.
“They have four really good freshmen in their lineup,” said Chapman. “Pieced with good returners from last year, I fully expect we’ll get their best shot. It’s going to be a dog fight come Sunday.”
The Jayhawks lead the all-time series with KSU, 43-13, and have won the past three matches against the Wildcats. K-State has multiple players who compete at various positions. Freshman Margot Decker has played the most at the No. 1 spot with an 8-9 dual record. At the No. 1 doubles position, Decker and senior Carolina Costamagna have a 10-6 record in dual matches and have gone 5-5 in their last 10.
Freshman Maria Linares has tallied an 11-4 record, seeing time on courts one through four. Anna Turco, who is also a freshman, began her season in dual matches and has an overall record of 8-4 between the three, four, five and six positions.
Live scoring will be available for Sunday’s match. Visit the KU tennis schedule page on KUAthletics.com for more information.
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