Kansas State University Athletics
Tuesday, March 13
Manhattan, Kan.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
4
vs
3
Baylor
Decker, No. 40 K-State Survives Late Comeback, Overcomes 28th-ranked Baylor
Mar 13, 2018 | Tennis
Wildcats beat Baylor for the first time since 2011
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Freshman Margot Decker handed K-State its third ranked win of the season, as she sealed the Wildcats' 4-3 win over the No. 28 Baylor Bears with a come-from-behind three-set victory on Tuesday at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.
"Margot has incredible power, and I think today, what I was most impressed with, was that she changed up her strategy," head coach Danielle Steinberg said after the match. "I think that is part of learning how to play. She is still a freshman, and in the past, she has been used to overpowering people, but today she played a lot smarter. She made incredible choices, powered through and served big when necessary. I am proud of her choices today."
Decker, facing defeat after dropping the opening set, overcame a 5-2 deficit in the second set, and won eight of the match's final 11 games to defeat the Bears' Theresa Van Zyl 6-7(9), 7-6(5), 6-3, to secure the Cats' win. The freshman from Blodelsheim, France, picked up her sixth win of the spring season from the No. 1 position.
K-State (10-3, 1-0 Big 12) continues to add to its best start since the 2010-11 season, picking up team wins in nine of its last 11 matches. The Wildcats beat Baylor for the first time since 2011 and for just the fifth time in school history (5-24).
"The past few years we struggled against the "big program", and Baylor is a storied program, winning a lot of Big 12 titles recently," Steinberg said. "For us, playing with no fear and playing with so much confidence is a testament of how much this team believes and how much confidence we have in each other. Today they did a great job."
The Bears (8-8, 0-2) fall to 4-6 this season against the nation's top-40 ranked teams, losing back-to-back matches for the second time this season after a defeat at Kansas Monday.
After losing the doubles point, the Cats won the first three singles matches. In total, K-State won four of six singles matches, adding to its 45-27 (.625) record in spring play.
Freshman Rosanna Maffei tied the match at 1-1 from the No. 4 singles position, topping the Bears' Angie Shakhraichuk, 6-0, 6-2. The product of Atripalda, Italy, has won back-to-back matches for the third time this spring, managing an 8-4 record.
At No. 3 singles, Carolina Costamagna extended the lead to 2-1 for K-State with her 6-1, 6-2 win over Baylor's Dominika Sujova. The Argentinian senior opens her final season at K-State with a 7-5 record in spring season and a 14-11 mark overall.
Ines Mesquita opened a 3-1 lead for K-State behind her straight-set win over Livia Kraus, 6-4, 6-3. The sophomore extends her singles mark to 18-7 this season, outputting an 8-4 mark in singles play this spring.
The Bears picked up the next two singles matches to knot the match at 3-3.
At the No. 2 position, freshman Maria Linares was outlasted by the Bears' Camilla Abbate, 4-6, 7-5, narrowing K-State's lead to 3-2. The Venezuelan has dropped back-to-back matches for the first time at K-State, but still hoists a team-best 9-4 record.
After winning the first set, freshman Anna Turco lost her next two sets and fell to Jessica Hinojosa of the Bears, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, tying the match at 3-3. The Italian native drops her second match in spring play out of six matches.
Baylor claimed its only lead of the day, 1-0, from the doubles point, taking wins at courts Nos. 2 and 3. K-State has lost the doubles point for just the fourth time in 13 matches this season. K-State's doubles teams are 22-13 in the spring season.
"I think we came out a little bit flat," Steinberg said. "I do not know whether it was first-match jitters or the first time we are playing outside at home. I was a little bit disappointed in our energy, but at the same time we saw that we were the better team, and we turned it around in singles. I'm so proud of everyone coming out in singles and playing hard from the first game."
Leading off the day for K-State from No. 1 doubles, Costamagna and Decker added to their team-best record of 12-4 start this season, defeating Kris Sorokolet and Jessica Hinojosa, 6-2. K-State's tandem picks up its ninth win this spring.
Linares and Maffei, playing from the No. 2 doubles position, lost to Angie Shakhraichuk and Dominika Sujova, 6-1. The duo falls to 3-2 in spring play.
At No. 3 doubles, the duo of Mesquita and Turco fell to the Bears' Giorgia Testa and Theresa Van Zyl, 6-3. The pairing drops to a 3-2 mark this season.
Up next, K-State will host a doubleheader against Texas at 11 a.m. and Missouri State at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium. Fans can follow live statistics on Tuesday at www.kstatesports.com or by following the K-State Tennis official Twitter @KStateTEN.
"Margot has incredible power, and I think today, what I was most impressed with, was that she changed up her strategy," head coach Danielle Steinberg said after the match. "I think that is part of learning how to play. She is still a freshman, and in the past, she has been used to overpowering people, but today she played a lot smarter. She made incredible choices, powered through and served big when necessary. I am proud of her choices today."
Decker, facing defeat after dropping the opening set, overcame a 5-2 deficit in the second set, and won eight of the match's final 11 games to defeat the Bears' Theresa Van Zyl 6-7(9), 7-6(5), 6-3, to secure the Cats' win. The freshman from Blodelsheim, France, picked up her sixth win of the spring season from the No. 1 position.
K-State (10-3, 1-0 Big 12) continues to add to its best start since the 2010-11 season, picking up team wins in nine of its last 11 matches. The Wildcats beat Baylor for the first time since 2011 and for just the fifth time in school history (5-24).
"The past few years we struggled against the "big program", and Baylor is a storied program, winning a lot of Big 12 titles recently," Steinberg said. "For us, playing with no fear and playing with so much confidence is a testament of how much this team believes and how much confidence we have in each other. Today they did a great job."
The Bears (8-8, 0-2) fall to 4-6 this season against the nation's top-40 ranked teams, losing back-to-back matches for the second time this season after a defeat at Kansas Monday.
After losing the doubles point, the Cats won the first three singles matches. In total, K-State won four of six singles matches, adding to its 45-27 (.625) record in spring play.
Freshman Rosanna Maffei tied the match at 1-1 from the No. 4 singles position, topping the Bears' Angie Shakhraichuk, 6-0, 6-2. The product of Atripalda, Italy, has won back-to-back matches for the third time this spring, managing an 8-4 record.
At No. 3 singles, Carolina Costamagna extended the lead to 2-1 for K-State with her 6-1, 6-2 win over Baylor's Dominika Sujova. The Argentinian senior opens her final season at K-State with a 7-5 record in spring season and a 14-11 mark overall.
Ines Mesquita opened a 3-1 lead for K-State behind her straight-set win over Livia Kraus, 6-4, 6-3. The sophomore extends her singles mark to 18-7 this season, outputting an 8-4 mark in singles play this spring.
The Bears picked up the next two singles matches to knot the match at 3-3.
At the No. 2 position, freshman Maria Linares was outlasted by the Bears' Camilla Abbate, 4-6, 7-5, narrowing K-State's lead to 3-2. The Venezuelan has dropped back-to-back matches for the first time at K-State, but still hoists a team-best 9-4 record.
After winning the first set, freshman Anna Turco lost her next two sets and fell to Jessica Hinojosa of the Bears, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, tying the match at 3-3. The Italian native drops her second match in spring play out of six matches.
Baylor claimed its only lead of the day, 1-0, from the doubles point, taking wins at courts Nos. 2 and 3. K-State has lost the doubles point for just the fourth time in 13 matches this season. K-State's doubles teams are 22-13 in the spring season.
"I think we came out a little bit flat," Steinberg said. "I do not know whether it was first-match jitters or the first time we are playing outside at home. I was a little bit disappointed in our energy, but at the same time we saw that we were the better team, and we turned it around in singles. I'm so proud of everyone coming out in singles and playing hard from the first game."
Leading off the day for K-State from No. 1 doubles, Costamagna and Decker added to their team-best record of 12-4 start this season, defeating Kris Sorokolet and Jessica Hinojosa, 6-2. K-State's tandem picks up its ninth win this spring.
Linares and Maffei, playing from the No. 2 doubles position, lost to Angie Shakhraichuk and Dominika Sujova, 6-1. The duo falls to 3-2 in spring play.
At No. 3 doubles, the duo of Mesquita and Turco fell to the Bears' Giorgia Testa and Theresa Van Zyl, 6-3. The pairing drops to a 3-2 mark this season.
Up next, K-State will host a doubleheader against Texas at 11 a.m. and Missouri State at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium. Fans can follow live statistics on Tuesday at www.kstatesports.com or by following the K-State Tennis official Twitter @KStateTEN.
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