Rice University
Oklahoma State
Owls' Upset Bid Averted By Cowgirls
2/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 4, 2007
TULSA, Okla. -- In a dual that came down to the last match on court, the No. 64 Rice women's upset bid against No. 45 Oklahoma State came up just shy in a 4-3 loss on Sunday at Tulsa, Okla.
The Owls got on the scoreboard early, winning at two and three doubles to secure the first point of the day. Dominique Karas and Rebecca Lin defeated Lauren Simmons and Iryna Tkachenko 8-4 at No. 2, while Christine Dao and Emily Braid scored an 8-6 victory against Jennifer Poskitt and Marta Tsivka at No. 3.
The Cowgirls rebounded in singles with wins at the top three ladder positions to snare a 3-1 advantage. Karas then struck again for Rice, sweeping Simmons 7-5, 6-1 at No. 4 singles as the final two matches headed to third sets. The Owls' Lin tied the team score at 3-3 as she rallied from a set back for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph against Poskitt at No. 5. Finally, Oklahoma State's Tsivka out-lasted Braid at No. 6, taking a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 decision to secure the Cowgirls' win.
The Owls return home next weekend to host Florida State on Friday at 3 pm and Auburn on Sunday at 1 pm. Both matches are slated for the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.
Results
No. 45 Oklahoma State 4, No. 64 Rice 3
Doubles
1. Allen/Shatkovskaya (OSU) def. Lee/Chao (RU), 8-4
2. Lin/Karas (RU) def. Simmons/Tkachenko (OSU), 8-5
3. Braid/Dao (RU) def. Poskitt/Tsivka (OSU), 8-6
Singles
1. Iryna Tkachenko (OSU) def. Julie Chao (RU), 6-3, 6-3
2. Yawna Allen (OSU) def. Christine Dao (RU), 6-2, 6-3
3. Nataliya Shatkovskaya (OSU) def. Tiffany Lee (RU), 6-1, 6-1
4. Dominique Karas (RU) def. Lauren Simmons (OSU), 7-5, 6-1
5. Rebecca Lin (RU) def. Jennifer Poskitt (OSU), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Marta Tsivka (OSU) def. Emily Braid (RU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Players Mentioned
