TCU Falls to the Jayhawks

Sunday, March 26

Fort Worth, TX

1 p.m.

TCU

Kansas

TCU Falls to the Jayhawks

3/26/2023 4:53:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score (PDF)

TCU Finishes the Weekend 2-1

FORT WORTH: No. 56 TCU women's tennis fall short to the No. 20 Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday afternoon at the Bartzen Varsity Courts, 1-4.

The Horned Frogs (9-5) competed in their third match in three days and put up a tough fight against Kansas (12-4).

The doubles point proved to be the pivotal point of the match. Destinee Martins and Tiphanie Lemaitre won their third doubles match of the weekend. This one was by way of a 6-0 sweep. Kansas evened the doubles match with a win on court No. 2.

Kansas' No. 61 doubles pair of Malkia Ngounoue and Janse Van Vuuren took the edge over Helena Narmont an Yu-Chin Tsai late in the match, winning 7-5. The Jayhawks took a 1-0 lead into singles play.

Both teams refused to give an inch during each singles match. Three matches went deep into third sets. Tsai, the freshman from Taiwan, even the team score with a swift 6-4, 6-1 win over Tamari Gagoshidze of Kansas.

The Jayhawks took the lead following a win on court No. 6 from Jocelyn Massey. On the No. 1 court, No. 56 ranked Ngounoue bested Lemaitre in a (7-6, 6-3) decision.

Down 1-3, the Horned Frogs refused to go down without a fight, but in their third match of the weekend TCU just didn't have the legs to finish off the Jayhawks.

After a 2-1 weekend, head coach Lee Taylor Walker thought his team continued to show improvement.

"We improved a lot from last weekend to this weekend and we need that to happen again this week. It's nice to know that we now have had three top 20 doubles points in our hands for the taking and we inched a step closer today. We just have to keep improving there and learn. We are an elite doubles team and as long as we keep learning, we will be able to beat anyone in the country in that doubles point. Credit to KUs No. 1 doubles team for fighting back with great energy and aggressive doubles. That point turned out to be huge on the day," he said.
"In singles, I thought Yuki really showed great mental toughness and maturity. To be able to respond like that after doubles is really hard. But she showed a great deal of strength and resolve and character. We were right there until the very end and we know it was a missed opportunity. But the great thing about our schedule and conference, is that the opportunities just keep coming."

Singles competition
1. #56 Ngounoue, Malkia (KU23) def. Tiphanie Lemaitre (TCU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
2. #123 Mercedes Aristegui (TCU) vs. Titova, Maria (KU23) 3-6, 6-4, 0-2, unfinished
3. Jade Otway (TCU) vs. Manu, Carmen Roxana (KU23) 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 2-1, unfinished
4. Janse Van Vuuren, H (KU23) def. Destinee Martins (TCU) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. Yu-Chin Tsai (TCU) def. Gagoshidze, Tamari (KU23) 6-4, 6-1
6. Massey, Jocelyn (KU23) def. Helena Narmont (TCU) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. #61 Ngounoue, Malkia/Janse Van Vuuren, H (KU23) def. #67 Helena Narmont/Yu-Chin Tsai (TCU) 7-5
2. Titova, Maria/Gagoshidze, Tamari (KU23) def. Jade Otway/Mercedes Aristegui (TCU) 6-4
3. Destinee Martins/Tiphanie Lemaitre (TCU) def. Manu, Carmen Roxana/Massey, Jocelyn (KU23) 6-0

Match Notes:
Kansas 12-4; National ranking #20 TCU Horned Frogs 9-5; National ranking #56

Order of finish:
Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,6,1,4)

Up Next: TCU will conclude their home schedule on Friday March, 31 against the Baylor Bears and Sunday, April 2 versus the defending National Champion Texas Longhorns.