TCU Team Page
NORMAN, Okla. – The TCU women’s tennis team’s undefeated run in Big 12 play came to an end Sunday afternoon with as the No. 32 Horned Frogs fell 4-3 to No. 36 Oklahoma Sunday at the Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion.
The loss drops TCU to 17-3 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. The victory took the Sooners to 13-7 overall and 5-3 in conference competition.
“Today we were able to get the doubles point, but came out flat in singles,” TCU head coach Dave Borelli said. “It did not help that we were playing indoors, because OU is a very good indoor team, but they got on top of us early.”
The Horned Frogs picked up the doubles point via the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams. At No. 2 doubles Federica Denti and Kelsey Sundarum got their second win of the weekend with an 8-4 decision over Zita Engbroks and Whitney Wofford. At No. 3 doubles, Gabi Barbosa and Monika Sirilova were able to dispose of Emma Devine and Mia Lancaster, the No. 82 doubles pair in the country, 8-5 to give TCU an early 1-0 advantage.
“What makes the loss tougher is that we let it go after playing really well in doubles,” Borelli noted. “Credit to OU for being able to pick themselves up after a tough loss on Friday and getting it done today.”
In singles, Stefanie Tan rebounded from a loss on Friday to defeat OU’s Hermon Brahane, No. 69 in the ITA Rankings, 6-2, 6-4.
Sirilova was able to continue her undefeated run in Big 12 competition with a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles over the Sooners’ Abbi Melrose. The Slovakian is now 7-0 in Big 12 singles competition after earning her 11th straight singles win.
The Sooners picked up three big wins to start singles play with OU’s Whitney Ritchie sweeping Olivia Smith 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 singles. That was followed by Millie Nichols falling to Oklahoma’s Devine 6-3, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. The Sooners positioned themselves one point away from clinching the match with Lancaster earning a 6-3, 6-4 win over Simona Parajova at No. 3 singles. Wofford clinched the match for OU with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Denti at No. 4 singles.
The Horned Frogs are still in contention for the Big 12 regular season title, starting with a showdown against No. 15 Texas Tech Friday at 2 p.m. at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The Lady Raiders are 17-4 overall and 7-0 in the Big 12 after clinching 5-2 wins at Kansas State and Kansas on the weekend.
“It is not the end of the world that we lost today,” Borelli concluded. “We are still 17-3 overall and have only lost once in the Big 12. If you would have promised me that when we first found out about joining the Big 12, I would have taken it. We still have a chance to do something special.”
MATCH RESULTS – No. 36 Oklahoma 4, No. 32 TCU 3
SINGLES
No. 1 – #43 Stefanie Tan (TCU) def. No. 69 Hermon Brhane (OU), 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 – Whitney Ritchie (OU) def. No. 107 Olivia Smith (TCU), 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 – Mia Lancaster (OU) def. Simona Parajova (TCU), 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 – Whitney Woffort (OU) def. Federica Denti (TCU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 – Monika Sirilova (TCU) def. Abbi Melrose (OU), 7-5, 6-3
No. 6 – Emma Devine (OU) def. Millie Nichols (TCU), 6-3, 6-2
DOUBLES
No. 1 – No. 20 Hermon Brhane/Whitney Ritchie (OU) def. No. 52 Millie Nichols/Olivia Smith (TCU), 8-3
No. 2 – Federica Denti/Kelsey Sundarum (TCU) def. Zita Engbroks/Whitney Wofford (OU), 8-4
No. 3 – Gabi Barbosa/Monika Sirilova (TCU) def. No. 82 Emma Devine/Mia Lancaster, 8-5
MATCH NOTES
Oklahoma 13-7, 5-3 Big 12; National Ranking #36
TCU 17-3, 6-1 Big 12; National Ranking #32
Order of finish: Singles (2,6,3,1,4,5); Doubles (1,3,2)
