TCU
Kansas State
TCU Powers Past K-State, 4-3
3/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
FORT WORTH, Texas - Facing match-point on multiple occasions, the No. 22 TCU women's tennis team battled hard to power past Kansas State as the team took its first Big 12 win of the season, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at the Body First Indoor Tennis Center in Manhattan, Kan.
With the match tied at 3-3, the Horned Frogs (8-5, 1-1 Big 12) were down on the final court to the Wildcats (8-7, 0-2 Big 12) but senior Caroline Wegner powered through to win four straight games to take the final set, 7-5, and the overall match victory for TCU.
TCU started out the day by taking the doubles point with the tiebreaking win on the final court. No. 51 Seda Arantekin and Olaya Garrido-Rivas grabbed the first win of the day with a 6-1 victory on court one as Kansas State took court three to even out the battle for the point. Wegner and Donika Bashota paired up to take the tiebreaker, 7-4, and give the Frogs the early lead in the match.
The Wildcats evened out the match in singles with a straight-set win on court three, but TCU jumped back on top as Aleksandra Zenovka and No. 60 Arantekin each came back to score three-set wins at the top two positions. Kansas State did not back down as they took courts four and six to even up the match, but Wegner came through in the end to clinch the match for the Frogs.
Quotes from the Match
Head Coach Lee Taylor Walker
"Well, to say we've had a rough few weeks is kind of an understatement. We have taken some losses we feel we shouldn't have, we've had sickness and injuries throughout the team and overall we just kind of started questioning ourselves and lost some of our confidence and purpose. Honestly, it's been pretty hard for the coaches and team to process it all and realign ourselves. So today's match just means so much. To overcome the adversity of having two starters out and some of our playing members hurt and sick is just so incredible.
"We were down three match points in doubles and found a way. Caroline (Wegner) was down 5-3 in the third and found a way. Caroline asserted herself as a leader this weekend and she also redefined her game for pressure moments and committed to it. Caroline has had many moments like this where quite frankly she buckled and froze under pressure, but today she overcame this moment with a clear game plan and purpose. It's so rewarding as a coach to see a player put themselves in this situation time and time again, and eventually overcome it. I'm just sincerely so happy for her. These two things paid off and overcoming all this adversity not only saves our season from what it could be, but also teaches our ladies profound life lessons on how to problem solve and remain hopeful when things aren't going your way."
Match Results
TCU vs Kansas State
Mar 12, 2017 at Manhattan, Kan.
(Body First Indoor Tennis Center)
#22 TCU 4, Kansas State 3
Singles competition
1. #60 Seda Arantekin (TCU) def. Carolina Costamagna (KSU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Aleksandra Zenovka (TCU) def. Millie Stretton (KSU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
3. Ines Mesquita (KSU) def. Donika Bashota (TCU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Ana Garcia Navas (KSU) def. Sofiko Kadzhaya (TCU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
5. Caroline Wegner (TCU) def. Maria Panaite (KSU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
6. Livia Cirnu (KSU) def. Madison Tedford (TCU) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #51 Seda Arantekin/Olaya Garrido-Rivas (TCU) def. Millie Stretton/Ana Garcia Navas (KSU) 6-1
2. Caroline Wegner/Donika Bashota (TCU) def. Carolina Costamagna/Ines Mesquita (KSU) 7-6 (7-4)
3. Iva Bago/Livia Cirnu (KSU) def. Alexis Pereira/Aleksandra Zenovka (TCU) 7-5
Match Notes:
TCU 8-5; National ranking #22
Kansas State 8-7
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,2,1,4,6,5)
Up Next
TCU will take the next week off before returning to the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center to host Columbia on Sunday, March 19 at 1 p.m., in one of the team's final nonconference matches of the season.
Players Mentioned
