Tennis Team Travels I-70 To Meet Kansas
Apr 09, 2003 | Tennis
April 9, 2003
MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Kansas State tennis team tries to extend its four-match winning streak and keep pace in the Big 12 Conference race when it travels I-70 to play in-state rival No. 61 Kansas at noon Saturday at Robinson Courts.
The 34th-ranked 'Cats, who improved five spots in the latest Omni Hotels Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, are 10-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12 this season, while Kansas enters the match 7-9 overall and 3-6 in league play.
The 'Cats are tied with Oklahoma for fourth place in the Big 12 standings, while the Jayhawks are in ninth. K-State trails Texas (7-1), Baylor (6-1) and Texas A&M (6-2) in the standings. Kansas State has four remaining matches, including matches against the Aggies (April 18) and the Longhorns (April 20).
Kansas State is on a four-match winning streak that dates to March 19. K-State upset its second-straight ranked opponent when it beat No. 37 Colorado (5-2) April 5. Kansas enters the match having lost its last two matches and five of its last six. The Jayhawks lost to Colorado (5-2) April 6 and to Baylor (6-1) March 29.
The Jayhawks have a commanding lead in the all-time series with Kansas State. Kansas leads the series 46-4, but K-State has won two of the last three matches. The first and last time the Wildcats beat KU in Lawrence and the last time the 'Cats were victorious in the series was 2001 when they beat the Jayhawks, 5-2. Last season Kansas beat Kansas State 4-3 in Manhattan. Sophomore Andrea Cooper is the only returning Wildcat who registered a singles win in the match. She beat Kim Lorenz 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at No. 6 singles.
For the Wildcats, junior Hayley McIver has strung together five consecutive wins and victories in eight of her last nine matches at No. 5 singles. She is 10-3 in dual matches, 6-1 in the Big 12 and 19-9 overall.
Cooper has also put together wins in six of her last seven matches. She is 9-3 in dual matches, 4-2 in the Big 12 and 15-9 overall this season playing primarily at No. 6 singles.
Kansas State improved its doubles play recently, winning seven of its last nine matches. Leading the way for K-State are senior Petra Sedlmajerova and junior Paulina Castillejos, who have won four of their last five matches. The Wildcats' No. 2 doubles team is 7-3 in dual matches, 3-4 in the league and 9-5 overall.
Kansas is led by junior Emily Haylock who is 10-6 in dual matches, 4-5 in the Big 12 and 14-15 overall at No. 3 singles. Also, freshman Christine Skoda is 10-6 in dual matches, 5-4 in the league and 16-13 overall at No. 4 singles. In doubles, the Jayhawks' No. 1 doubles team of Courtney and Kristen Steinbock are 3-8 in dual matches, 0-3 in the Big 12 and 9-11 overall.
