Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, April 27
Austin, Texas
3 p.m.
Kansas State University
1
vs
4
Texas Tech University
12th-Ranked Red Raiders Down No. 42 K-State in Big 12 Quarterfinals
Apr 27, 2018 | Tennis
AUSTIN, Texas – Freshman Maria Linares managed her team-leading 12th win this spring, but the No. 42-ranked K-State women's tennis team was outmatched by No. 12 Texas Tech, 4-1, in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship on Friday at the Texas Tennis Center.
"I think today we proved to ourselves that when we put it all on the line, and compete with our hearts out, we belong to the top and can compete with anyone in the country," said head coach Danielle Steinberg. "Texas Tech is a well-coached and very experienced team with a lot of veterans in their lineup. We pushed them to play their best tennis today, with the fight and grit this team has and makes us who we are. We are a very young team, and part of growing is learning how to get up every day and compete in these tough matches at the end of season. I know we will get there with time and I am extremely excited for the future of this program.
"We will now wait and see if we made it to NCAA's, but regardless, I am super proud of this group and where the program is headed," Steinberg added.
Narrowing the deficit to 3-1, Linares notched her 19th win of her inaugural collegiate season over the Red Raiders' Alex Valenstein, 6-4, 6-3. The Venezuela native is 14-5 when finishing the match in two sets.
Texas Tech (19-5, 7-2 Big 12) beats K-State (14-10, 4-5 Big 12) for the second time this season, dating back to March 25 when it beat the Cats, 4-0, in Lubbock. Texas Tech now owns a 20-12 record against K-State all-time.
Tech took a 2-0 lead as freshman Anna Turco saw each set she played in slip away against No. 97-ranked Sabrina Federici. The product of Mondovi, Italy, falls to 16-10 in her freshman campaign and loses just her fifth match of the season in straight sets.
After leading in the opening set 5-4, Margot Decker was outlasted by No. 21 Gabriela Talaba, 5-7, 3-6, leading to a 3-0 deficit for K-State. In the second set, Decker had the set knotted a 2-2, but lost four of the next five games to lose the match. The No. 1 singles player drops to 15-15 this season with an 8-12 record this spring. The freshman has already faced 14 ranked opponents and won four of such matches.
The Red Raiders notched their 4-1 win over the Cats as Carolina Costamagna lost to No. 56 Felicity Maltby, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6. Costamagna won the opening set and stood at 2-2. The four-year senior drops to 55-58 in her career with a 17-17 overall record this season, adding a 5-6 record in three-set matches this season.
For the fourth consecutive match, K-State had two players in the midst of a third set as the match concluded. Rosanna Maffei and Ines Mesquita both claimed opening set wins in their matches. Maffei was leading 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 over Tech's No. 125th-ranked Sarah Dvorak. The freshman tied the second set at 5-5 after trailing 2-5. Mesquita was in her third set with Tech's No. 115 Kately Jackson, 6-4, 4-6, 2-3.
Tech took a 1-0 lead with wins at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, but the Cats held leads at all three doubles matches before losing the doubles point.
At No. 1 doubles, Costamagna and Decker held an early 1-0 lead over the 21st-ranked Federici and Dvorak before being defeated, 3-6.
The Red Raiders secured the point as Linares and Turco were outmatched by Maltby and Talaba, 4-6. The duo also held a 1-0 lead and managed to cut its deficit to 4-5, but dropped the match and move a mark of 2-6 this season.
Maffei and Turco owned a 5-4 lead, leading most of the match over Valenstein and Jackson, before Tech clinched the point. The record for the tandem stands pat at 5-0 this season.
K-State will wait to see if it claims a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The tournament field will be announced Tuesday, May 1.
"I think today we proved to ourselves that when we put it all on the line, and compete with our hearts out, we belong to the top and can compete with anyone in the country," said head coach Danielle Steinberg. "Texas Tech is a well-coached and very experienced team with a lot of veterans in their lineup. We pushed them to play their best tennis today, with the fight and grit this team has and makes us who we are. We are a very young team, and part of growing is learning how to get up every day and compete in these tough matches at the end of season. I know we will get there with time and I am extremely excited for the future of this program.
"We will now wait and see if we made it to NCAA's, but regardless, I am super proud of this group and where the program is headed," Steinberg added.
Narrowing the deficit to 3-1, Linares notched her 19th win of her inaugural collegiate season over the Red Raiders' Alex Valenstein, 6-4, 6-3. The Venezuela native is 14-5 when finishing the match in two sets.
Texas Tech (19-5, 7-2 Big 12) beats K-State (14-10, 4-5 Big 12) for the second time this season, dating back to March 25 when it beat the Cats, 4-0, in Lubbock. Texas Tech now owns a 20-12 record against K-State all-time.
Tech took a 2-0 lead as freshman Anna Turco saw each set she played in slip away against No. 97-ranked Sabrina Federici. The product of Mondovi, Italy, falls to 16-10 in her freshman campaign and loses just her fifth match of the season in straight sets.
After leading in the opening set 5-4, Margot Decker was outlasted by No. 21 Gabriela Talaba, 5-7, 3-6, leading to a 3-0 deficit for K-State. In the second set, Decker had the set knotted a 2-2, but lost four of the next five games to lose the match. The No. 1 singles player drops to 15-15 this season with an 8-12 record this spring. The freshman has already faced 14 ranked opponents and won four of such matches.
The Red Raiders notched their 4-1 win over the Cats as Carolina Costamagna lost to No. 56 Felicity Maltby, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6. Costamagna won the opening set and stood at 2-2. The four-year senior drops to 55-58 in her career with a 17-17 overall record this season, adding a 5-6 record in three-set matches this season.
For the fourth consecutive match, K-State had two players in the midst of a third set as the match concluded. Rosanna Maffei and Ines Mesquita both claimed opening set wins in their matches. Maffei was leading 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 over Tech's No. 125th-ranked Sarah Dvorak. The freshman tied the second set at 5-5 after trailing 2-5. Mesquita was in her third set with Tech's No. 115 Kately Jackson, 6-4, 4-6, 2-3.
Tech took a 1-0 lead with wins at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, but the Cats held leads at all three doubles matches before losing the doubles point.
At No. 1 doubles, Costamagna and Decker held an early 1-0 lead over the 21st-ranked Federici and Dvorak before being defeated, 3-6.
The Red Raiders secured the point as Linares and Turco were outmatched by Maltby and Talaba, 4-6. The duo also held a 1-0 lead and managed to cut its deficit to 4-5, but dropped the match and move a mark of 2-6 this season.
Maffei and Turco owned a 5-4 lead, leading most of the match over Valenstein and Jackson, before Tech clinched the point. The record for the tandem stands pat at 5-0 this season.
K-State will wait to see if it claims a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The tournament field will be announced Tuesday, May 1.
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