TCU Drops Match to No. 12 Oklahoma State

Sunday, March 8

Stillwater, OK

1 p.m.

TCU

Oklahoma State

TCU Drops Match to No. 12 Oklahoma State

3/8/2020 6:49:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Stevie Kennedy collects career-best win over No. 63 Miyamuto

STILLWATER, Okla. – TCU women's tennis couldn't pull off the upset despite close matches in singles play as No. 12 Oklahoma State defeated the Horned Frogs, 6-1, Sunday afternoon in Stillwater, Okla. Junior Stevie Kennedy secured the best win of her career over No. 63 Miyamuto and the Horned Frogs pushed two sets to extended tiebreaks in the loss.

"Although we took a team loss today, we found a fight and passion that we haven't played with yet this season," head coach Lee Taylor Walker said. "Marie played at such a high level today and I couldn't be more proud of her. It was one of those matches where both girls were playing so hard and so good that you felt like you could just keep watching and cheering it on for hours and hours. So proud of Marie to be at this level after all she has been through. Stevie was dominant against a very talented player. She was able to continually elevate her game time and time again to close out at a high level. If our team can keep this passion and fight we had today, and learn what elevating means for their own personal game style, we are not only going to get some wins down the stretch, we are going to get some BIG wins and be a tough team to beat come tournament time. We have to keep building the belief."

DOUBLES RECAP
Oklahoma State won the doubles point on courts one and three. TCU fought back at No. 1 doubles, earning a break to turn a 4-0 deficit to just 4-3 against the fifth-ranked pairing in the nation, but came up short, putting the Cowgirls in front, 1-0.

Doubles Results
1. #5 Lisa Marie Rioux/Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) def. Addy Guevara/Marie Norris (TCU): 6-3
2. Mercedes Aristegui/Chloe Hule (TCU) vs. Bunyawi Thamchaiwat/Lenka Stara (OSU): 5-5, unfinished
3. Alana Wolfberg/Catherine Gulihur (OSU) def. Stevie Kennedy/Margaret Polk (TCU): 6-1
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

SINGLES RECAP
TCU made a strong push in singles play before eventually dropping five of the six matches.

Kennedy picked up a career defining win at No. 3 singles. The junior won a break on her opponents first service game and would tack on one more for good measure in the opening set to jump in front of No. 63 Miyamuto, 6-1. She continued to improve her play into the second set, repelling all resistance and persisting for a very impressive 6-1, 6-2 victory. It was the highest ranked opponent Kennedy has defeated in her career and the second ranked win she boasts this spring. Kennedy is now 2-0 against ranked opponents this season with her other two matches ending unfinished. Kennedy improves to 4-2 this season in dual singles play as she continues to make massive strides in solidifying herself as a top-end talent.

The Horned Frogs fell on the other courts despite some high-intensity, very entertaining battles. Marie Norris was tasked with taking on No. 23 Thamchaiwat at No. 2 singles. Norris fought through her first set to a 5-5 score but suffered a late break to drop the set. Her second set went to a tiebreak where both players dealt incredible shots. Eventually, after 18 points, Norris fell, 10-8. Addy Guevara fought for a late break in her opening set but just couldn't get the ball to drop where she needed it and fell in a tiebreak, 8-6. At No. 1 singles, Mercedes Aristegui showed her skill, coming back from being a break down in her second set before ultimately losing the set, 7-5.

Singles Results
1. #49 Lisa Marie Rioux (OSU) def. Mercedes Aristegui (TCU) 6-3, 7-5
2. #23 Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (OSU) def. #81 Marie Norris (TCU): 7-5, 7-6(8)
3. Stevie Kennedy (TCU) def. #63 Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU): 6-1, 6-2
4. Alana Wolfberg (OSU) def. Margaret Polk (TCU): 6-2, 6-0
5. Lenka Stara (OSU) def. Addy Guevara (TCU) 7-6(6), 6-0
6. Catherine Gulihur (OSU) def. Chloe Hule (TCU) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 4, 3, 6, 5, 1, 2

Up Next
TCU returns to Fort Worth for a mid-week matchup against UTRGV. First serve is set for 11 a.m. at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

For more information on TCU women's tennis, visit gofrogs.com and follow the team on social media: @TCUWomensTennis on twitter and Facebook, @tcuwomenstennis on Instagram.