Kansas State University Athletics
Job and Alloyarova Walk Away Victorious Against Ole Miss in Singles Play
Sep 25, 2021 | Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - It was another day of competition for the Kansas State women's tennis team at the Ole Miss Fall Invite on Saturday (September 25) at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
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The Wildcats faced two more competitors who were NCAA Tournament participants a year ago in Georgia and Ole Miss and walked away with two singles victories.
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"We didn't start with the best mindset that demonstrates the standard of a K-State tennis player in doubles. Slow starts won't get us toward our goals," stated head coach Jordan Smith.
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Ranked No. 114 in the preseason ITA singles rankings, senior Karine-Marion Job took down Kelsey Mize from Ole Miss in two sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
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Freshman Dinara Alloyarova earned her second collegiate singles victory in as many days after defeating Ole Miss' Anaelle Leclerq, 6-4, 6-3.
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Senior Ioana Gheorghita dropped a hard-fought, three-set match to Ole Miss's Elysia Pool, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-7 (4-7).
She won the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), before losing 3-6 in set No. 2. Gheorghita rallied to force another tiebreaker in the decisive third set before falling 6-7 (4-7).
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Freshman Florentine Dekkers took set one in her singles match against Ludmila Kareisova from Ole Miss, 6-4. However, Kareisova rallied to win the last two sets 6-4 and 6-3 and walk away with a three-set victory.
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Sophomore Manami Ukita was defeated in two sets by Ole Miss' Reka Zadori 6-2, 6-2.
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Senior Rosanna Maffei had a hard-fought three-set battle against nationally-ranked Sabina Machalova of Ole Miss. In set one, Maffei defeated Machalova, 6-4. However, Machalova was able to come back and take the match after taking sets two and three, 6-2, 6-4.
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"Our ladies responded very well in singles today which they should all be very proud of. We weren't able to pull out a few close ones, but we competed as well as we could today," said Smith.
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The Wildcats struggled in their three doubles matches of the day against Georgia, which reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament this past spring and had two of its three doubles' teams ranked in the ITA Top 50.
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Dekkers and Gheorghita dropped a 6-4 decision to the No. 42 tandem of Morgan Coppoc and Mell Reasco
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Job and senior Maria Linares fell 6-1 to the No. 50 doubles pair of Guillermina Grant and Ania Hertel.
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Georgia's Mai Nirundorn and Meg Kowalski were victorious against Alloyarova and Ukita, 6-2, in the final doubles matchup of the day.
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"If we can get a better start tomorrow in doubles and capitalize on our leads then we should have our best day tomorrow," explained Smith.
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The third and final day of the Ole Miss Invite will take place Sunday morning (September 26) at 9 a.m., CT. K-State will take on Alabama in doubles followed by Georgia in singles at 10 a.m., CT.
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For the latest on K-State Women's Tennis, follow @kstatesports and @KStateTEN on Twitter or Kansas State Women's Tennis on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
