Friday, May 11
Stillwater, Okla.
1 pm
Tulsa
4
vs
2
LSU
Photo by: Ron Jenkins/American Athletic Conference
Tulsa Cages Tigers 4-2 in NCAA First Round, Faces OSU Saturday
5/11/2018 6:14:00 PM | Women's Tennis
STILLWATER, Okla. – The No. 24 ranked Tulsa women's tennis team advanced to the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament after defeating the No. 34 ranked LSU Tigers, 4-2, at the Greenwood Tennis Center on the campus of Oklahoma State Friday. The Golden Hurricane got redemption from last year's first round loss at the hands of the Tigers as Ksenia Laskutova and Martina Okalova defeated ranked players in singles competition.
Tulsa improved to 22-5 on the season, while LSU closed out the season at 15-11. The Hurricane will face Oklahoma State on Saturday, at 3 p.m. with the winner advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. Tulsa is making its seventh appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls won an earlier match this year against the Hurricane, 4-2.
Rouxanne Janse van Rensburg and Tamara Kupkova breezed to a 6-1 victory over Luba Vasilyuk and Ashton Rabalais in the No. 3 doubles match. The duo is now 11-3 on the year in dual matches.
Laskutova and Martha Matoula faced the No. 29 tandem in the country, Jessica Golovin and Eden Richardson. Laskutova and Matoula started the match by winning the first three games of the match. The Tulsa pair never looked back and went on to claim a 6-3 victory. Laskutova and Matoula improved to 17-6 in dual matches. Tulsa clinched the doubles point and took a 1-0 lead into singles action.
"That separates you and takes a little bit of heat off our team," said Head Coach Dean Orford referring to the importance of winning the doubles point.
Shura Poppe ran away to a 6-1 victory against Rabalais in the opening set of the No. 6 singles match. Poppe blanked Rabalais in the second, 6-0, on her way to a straight-set victory. Poppe is now 10-1 on the season in dual matches, but more importantly she gave the Hurricane a 2-0 lead in the match.
Kennan Johnson defeated Matoula in the No. 4 match, 6-1 and 6-3. Johnson's win pulled LSU within one, 2-1.
The No. 80 ranked Laskutova squared off with the No. 53 ranked Richardson in the No. 1 spot. Laskutova stormed away with a 6-1 win in the first set. Richardson jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but Laskutova was resilient and claimed the next five games. For the fifth time this season, Laskutova knocked off a ranked foe and improved to 18-4 in dual matches. Laskutova extended the TU lead to 3-1.
Vasilyuk bested Vera Ploner in the No. 5 position, 7-6 (7-2) and 6-4. The Tigers made the match 3-2.
The No. 114 ranked Foster won the opening stanza against the No. 112 ranked Okalova, 6-4. Okalova battled back to win the second set, 6-3, and forced a third and final set. Okalova and Foster remained on serve, until Okalova broke Foster in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. That breakpoint sparked Okalova as she went on to win the next three games and the set, 6-2. Okalova clinched the match for the Hurricane and improved to 13-4 on the year in dual singles.
#24 Tulsa 4, #34 LSU 2
Singles competition
1. #80 Ksenia Laskutova (TU) def. #53 Eden Richardson (LSU) 6-1, 6-4
2. #112 Martina Okalova (TU) def. #114 Ryann Foster (LSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Tamara Kupkova (TU) vs. #92 Jessica Golovin (LSU) 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, 4-4, unfinished
4. Kennan Johnson (LSU) def. Martha Matoula (TU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Luba Vasilyuk (LSU) def. Vera Ploner (TU) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
6. Shura Poppe (TU) def. Ashton Rabalais (LSU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Ksenia Laskutova/Martha Matoula (TU) def. #29 Jessica Golovin/Eden Richardson (LSU) 6-3
2. Vera Ploner/Martina Okalova (TU) vs. Kennan Johnson/Ryann Foster (LSU) 3-5, unfinished
3. Rouxanne Janse van Rensburg/Tamara Kupkova (TU) def. Luba Vasilyuk/Ashton Rabalais (LSU) 6-1
LSU 15-11, 5-8 SEC; National ranking #34
Tulsa 22-5, 5-0 American; National ranking #24
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,4,1,5,2)
A-75
Tulsa improved to 22-5 on the season, while LSU closed out the season at 15-11. The Hurricane will face Oklahoma State on Saturday, at 3 p.m. with the winner advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. Tulsa is making its seventh appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls won an earlier match this year against the Hurricane, 4-2.
Rouxanne Janse van Rensburg and Tamara Kupkova breezed to a 6-1 victory over Luba Vasilyuk and Ashton Rabalais in the No. 3 doubles match. The duo is now 11-3 on the year in dual matches.
Laskutova and Martha Matoula faced the No. 29 tandem in the country, Jessica Golovin and Eden Richardson. Laskutova and Matoula started the match by winning the first three games of the match. The Tulsa pair never looked back and went on to claim a 6-3 victory. Laskutova and Matoula improved to 17-6 in dual matches. Tulsa clinched the doubles point and took a 1-0 lead into singles action.
"That separates you and takes a little bit of heat off our team," said Head Coach Dean Orford referring to the importance of winning the doubles point.
Shura Poppe ran away to a 6-1 victory against Rabalais in the opening set of the No. 6 singles match. Poppe blanked Rabalais in the second, 6-0, on her way to a straight-set victory. Poppe is now 10-1 on the season in dual matches, but more importantly she gave the Hurricane a 2-0 lead in the match.
Kennan Johnson defeated Matoula in the No. 4 match, 6-1 and 6-3. Johnson's win pulled LSU within one, 2-1.
The No. 80 ranked Laskutova squared off with the No. 53 ranked Richardson in the No. 1 spot. Laskutova stormed away with a 6-1 win in the first set. Richardson jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but Laskutova was resilient and claimed the next five games. For the fifth time this season, Laskutova knocked off a ranked foe and improved to 18-4 in dual matches. Laskutova extended the TU lead to 3-1.
Vasilyuk bested Vera Ploner in the No. 5 position, 7-6 (7-2) and 6-4. The Tigers made the match 3-2.
The No. 114 ranked Foster won the opening stanza against the No. 112 ranked Okalova, 6-4. Okalova battled back to win the second set, 6-3, and forced a third and final set. Okalova and Foster remained on serve, until Okalova broke Foster in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. That breakpoint sparked Okalova as she went on to win the next three games and the set, 6-2. Okalova clinched the match for the Hurricane and improved to 13-4 on the year in dual singles.
#24 Tulsa 4, #34 LSU 2
Singles competition
1. #80 Ksenia Laskutova (TU) def. #53 Eden Richardson (LSU) 6-1, 6-4
2. #112 Martina Okalova (TU) def. #114 Ryann Foster (LSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Tamara Kupkova (TU) vs. #92 Jessica Golovin (LSU) 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, 4-4, unfinished
4. Kennan Johnson (LSU) def. Martha Matoula (TU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Luba Vasilyuk (LSU) def. Vera Ploner (TU) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
6. Shura Poppe (TU) def. Ashton Rabalais (LSU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Ksenia Laskutova/Martha Matoula (TU) def. #29 Jessica Golovin/Eden Richardson (LSU) 6-3
2. Vera Ploner/Martina Okalova (TU) vs. Kennan Johnson/Ryann Foster (LSU) 3-5, unfinished
3. Rouxanne Janse van Rensburg/Tamara Kupkova (TU) def. Luba Vasilyuk/Ashton Rabalais (LSU) 6-1
LSU 15-11, 5-8 SEC; National ranking #34
Tulsa 22-5, 5-0 American; National ranking #24
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,4,1,5,2)
A-75
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1
#1 Singles Match
12
Eden Richardson / 0 (53/-) [LSU]
14
66
#2 Singles Match
123
Ryann Foster / 0 (114/-) [LSU]
632
466
#3 Singles Match
1234
Jessica Golovin / 0 (92/-) [LSU]
7340
664UF
#4 Singles Match
12
Kennan Johnson / 0 [LSU]
66
13
#5 Singles Match
12
Luba Vasilyuk / 0 [LSU]
76
64
#6 Singles Match
12
Ashton Rabalais / 0 [LSU]
10
66
Order of Finish:
6,4,1,5,2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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