Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, February 8
Tucson, Arizona
1:00 PM
Kansas State University
7
vs
0
North Texas
Wildcats Extend Winning Streak, Sweep North Texas, 7-0
Feb 08, 2020 | Tennis
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Kansas State women's tennis team took down North Texas (5-2) for the fifth consecutive season, sweeping the Mean Green, 7-0, on Saturday afternoon at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center. The Wildcats never lost their edge for the entirety of the match, extending the team's current win streak to three matches.
"We came out and took care of business today," said Head Coach Jordan Smith. "It all started with our performance in doubles. This week in practice we made some changes with doubles pairings. Both of those new teams played well and helped us take the doubles point. I thought North Texas started out well in singles against us. Proud of how well all of the courts fought through early resistance. Our ladies did a great job of making their opponents uncomfortable and not losing the overall momentum."
Coming off a close match last year against the Mean Green, K-State (4-2) played fast and aggressive from the start of doubles play on Saturday, which trickled into the singles portion of the competition.
In a turn of events for the Wildcats in doubles play, K-State obtained the doubles point in convincing fashion to kick off the day. Taking the first set of the day, sophomore Karine-Marion Job and junior Maria Linares got K-State going in the No. 1 doubles position with a swift 6-0 victory over North Texas' Alexandra Heczey and Hala Khaled Badwy. Junior Lilla Barzo and senior Ines Mesquita finished off the Mean Green's Kexuan Zhou and Sophia Hummel, 6-2, in their set to give K-State a 1-0 lead.
Using the energy from the doubles win, the bottom half of the lineup for K-State squashed any chance of a comeback from North Texas with Barzo, Job and sophomore Rosanna Maffei all clinching victories in the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots. Those three points pushed K-State's lead to 4-0 to clinch the match against the Mean Green.
Barzo jumped on the Mean Green's Zhou in the No. 5 spot to earn a two-set victory 6-3, 6-1. Job kept pushing the pedal in her singles match against North Texas' Sophia Hummel, grabbing the victory in two sets, 6-3, 6-1. To clinch the fourth point of the day, Maffei scorched North Texas' Badwy to clinch the deciding point in two sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Linares and junior Margot Decker floored the Wildcats to another two points in singles play, as Decker knocked off her opponent in two sets, 6-4, 6-2, while Linares fought through a tough first set but followed it with a stellar second set to end her match at 7-5, 6-1.
Junior Anna Turco ended day one for the Wildcats at the No. 2 spot, where she fought through a three-set performance (4-6, 7-5, 1-0 [10-6]) to give K-State its first 7-0 victory of the year.
K-State goes head-to-head with host Arizona tomorrow inside the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center for the last match of the weekend. The match against the Wildcats will take place at 11 a.m., CT.
"Have a quick turnaround playing Arizona early tomorrow," said Smith. We know they will put up a better fight than last year. If we continue to play like we are then I believe we have a great chance tomorrow."
For the latest on K-State tennis follow @kstatesports and @KStateTEN on Twitter or Kansas State Tennis on Facebook.
Kansas State vs. North Texas
February 8, 2020
LaNelle Robson Tennis Center
Doubles Play
Order of Finish: 1, 3
No. 1. Linares/Job (KSU) def. Heczey/Badwy (UNT) 6-0
No. 2. Decker Turco (KSU) vs. Surapeneni/Ponomareva (UNT) 2-5, unfinished
No. 3 Mesquita/Barzo (KSU) def. Zhou/Hummel (UNT) 6-2
Singles Play:
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 4, 3, 1, 2
No. 1. Maria Linares (KSU) def. Alexandra Heczey (UNT) 7-5, 6-1
No. 2. Anna Turco (KSU) def. Maria Ponomareva (UNT) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6)
No. 3. Margot Decker (KSU) def. Nidhi Surapaneni (UNT) 6-4, 6-2
No. 4. Rosanna Maffei (KSU) def. Hala Khaled Badwy (UNT) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5. Lilla Barzo (KSU) def. Kexuan Zhou (UNT) 6-3, 6-1
No. 6. Karine-Marion Job (KSU) def. Sophia Hummel (UNT) 6-3, 6-1
"We came out and took care of business today," said Head Coach Jordan Smith. "It all started with our performance in doubles. This week in practice we made some changes with doubles pairings. Both of those new teams played well and helped us take the doubles point. I thought North Texas started out well in singles against us. Proud of how well all of the courts fought through early resistance. Our ladies did a great job of making their opponents uncomfortable and not losing the overall momentum."
Coming off a close match last year against the Mean Green, K-State (4-2) played fast and aggressive from the start of doubles play on Saturday, which trickled into the singles portion of the competition.
In a turn of events for the Wildcats in doubles play, K-State obtained the doubles point in convincing fashion to kick off the day. Taking the first set of the day, sophomore Karine-Marion Job and junior Maria Linares got K-State going in the No. 1 doubles position with a swift 6-0 victory over North Texas' Alexandra Heczey and Hala Khaled Badwy. Junior Lilla Barzo and senior Ines Mesquita finished off the Mean Green's Kexuan Zhou and Sophia Hummel, 6-2, in their set to give K-State a 1-0 lead.
Using the energy from the doubles win, the bottom half of the lineup for K-State squashed any chance of a comeback from North Texas with Barzo, Job and sophomore Rosanna Maffei all clinching victories in the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots. Those three points pushed K-State's lead to 4-0 to clinch the match against the Mean Green.
Barzo jumped on the Mean Green's Zhou in the No. 5 spot to earn a two-set victory 6-3, 6-1. Job kept pushing the pedal in her singles match against North Texas' Sophia Hummel, grabbing the victory in two sets, 6-3, 6-1. To clinch the fourth point of the day, Maffei scorched North Texas' Badwy to clinch the deciding point in two sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Linares and junior Margot Decker floored the Wildcats to another two points in singles play, as Decker knocked off her opponent in two sets, 6-4, 6-2, while Linares fought through a tough first set but followed it with a stellar second set to end her match at 7-5, 6-1.
Junior Anna Turco ended day one for the Wildcats at the No. 2 spot, where she fought through a three-set performance (4-6, 7-5, 1-0 [10-6]) to give K-State its first 7-0 victory of the year.
K-State goes head-to-head with host Arizona tomorrow inside the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center for the last match of the weekend. The match against the Wildcats will take place at 11 a.m., CT.
"Have a quick turnaround playing Arizona early tomorrow," said Smith. We know they will put up a better fight than last year. If we continue to play like we are then I believe we have a great chance tomorrow."
For the latest on K-State tennis follow @kstatesports and @KStateTEN on Twitter or Kansas State Tennis on Facebook.
Kansas State vs. North Texas
February 8, 2020
LaNelle Robson Tennis Center
Doubles Play
Order of Finish: 1, 3
No. 1. Linares/Job (KSU) def. Heczey/Badwy (UNT) 6-0
No. 2. Decker Turco (KSU) vs. Surapeneni/Ponomareva (UNT) 2-5, unfinished
No. 3 Mesquita/Barzo (KSU) def. Zhou/Hummel (UNT) 6-2
Singles Play:
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 4, 3, 1, 2
No. 1. Maria Linares (KSU) def. Alexandra Heczey (UNT) 7-5, 6-1
No. 2. Anna Turco (KSU) def. Maria Ponomareva (UNT) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6)
No. 3. Margot Decker (KSU) def. Nidhi Surapaneni (UNT) 6-4, 6-2
No. 4. Rosanna Maffei (KSU) def. Hala Khaled Badwy (UNT) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5. Lilla Barzo (KSU) def. Kexuan Zhou (UNT) 6-3, 6-1
No. 6. Karine-Marion Job (KSU) def. Sophia Hummel (UNT) 6-3, 6-1
Players Mentioned
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