K-State Drops First Conference Match, 4-1 to UCF

MANHATTAN, Kan.- The K-State women's tennis team began conference play on Friday (Feb. 28) falling to UCF, 4-1, at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.

The #73 Wildcats (3-5) dropped the doubles point after two high scoring sets against #44 UCF (9-1) and was unable to make up the deficit in singles play.

Senior Veronika Kulhava and junior Maria Santos swept Olivia Bergler and Jade Psonka in the no. 3 spot, 6-1, their second consecutive win.

The two other doubles courts finished with the same 7-5 result in favor of the Knights. Sophomores Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Charlotte Keitel fell to Olivia Lincer and Hannah Rylatt in the no. 2 position, junior Sana Garakani and sophomore Tereza Polakova getting defeated by Sophia Biolay and Aya El Aouni.

Santos was the lone singles victory in the no. 4 spot over Bergler, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Freshman Zhanel Rustemova took to the courts for the first time this spring, unable to battle back in a high scoring second set against Lincer in the no. 2 position, losing 4-6, 5-7.

"It was great to finally get Zhanel in the lineup," head coach Jordan Smith said. "I know it's been a tough wait for her. So credit to her for being competitive and fitting in immediately."

Keitel fell to her second ranked opponent in dual matches, facing #122 El Aouni in the no. 1 spot, 4-6, 3-6. Polakova lost her first match in almost a month to Psonka in the no. 5 position. She came close to winning the first set before losing her momentum in the second, 5-7, 2-6.

Against her second ranked opponent in dual play, Chogsomjav went unfinished against #98 Biolay in the no. 3 spot. She won the first set 6-2 before dropping the second and was in the process of battling back in the third set, 6-2, 3-6, 1-3.

Kulhava also did not finish her match, in the no. 6 position versus Rylatt. She clinched the first set 6-3 and was close to a final in the second before stopping at 6-3, 4-5.

K-State will face Houston (3-4) on Sunday (March 1) at 12 p.m., at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.

FROM THE COURTS
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On how losing the doubles point effects the team…
"Disappointing loss tonight. Just not going to consistently beat decent teams if we don't start winning more doubles points. Our team has to get tougher in this area and stop letting each other down."

UCF vs K-State
Body First Tennis Center
Manhattan, Kan.

#73 K-State 1, #44 UCF 4

Singles Competition
1. #122 Aya El Aouni (UCF) def. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) 6-4, 6-3
2. Olivia Lincer (UCF) def. Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) 6-4, 7-5
3. Maralgoo Chogsomjav (KSU) vs #98 Sophia Biolay (UCF) 6-2, 3-6, 1-3, unfinished
4. Maria Santos (KSU) def. Olivia Bergler (UCF) 6-2, 6-4
5. Jade Psonka (UCF) def. Tereza Polakova (KSU) 7-5, 6-2
6. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) vs Hannah Rylatt (UCF) 6-3, 4-5, unfinished

Doubles Competition
1. Olivia Lincer/Hannah Rylatt (UCF) def. Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) 7-5
2. Sophia Biolay/Aya El Aouni (UCF) def. Sana Garakani/Tereza Polakova (KSU) 7-5
3. Veronika Kulhava/Maria Santos (KSU) def. Olivia Bergler/Jade Psonka (UCF) 6-1

-- k-statesports.com --

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Players Mentioned

Maralgoo Chogsomjav

Sana Garakani

Charlotte Keitel

Veronika Kulhava

Tereza Polakova

Zhanel Rustemova

Maria Santos