Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, March 21
Manhattan, Kan.
4 p.m.
Kansas State University
4
vs
1
Arizona
Wildcats Claim Ranked Conference Win 4-1 Over #35 Arizona
Mar 21, 2025 | Tennis
K-State previously defeated #51 Iowa on February 22
MANHATTAN, Kan.- The K-State women's tennis team collected a second ranked win of the season on Friday (March 21) with a 4-1 win over Arizona at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium. Team is now 4-0 in series history over the fellow Wildcats.
K-State (7-6, 4-2 Big 12) won the doubles point over #35 Arizona (14-6, 5-2 Big 12) leading to three-set matches in all six singles competition, the Cats victorious in three match ups. It's the first time in at least 10 years that clinching a dual match resulted in three sets on all singles courts.
The Wildcats secured two doubles wins for the first time since facing Houston on March 2. Senior Veronika Kulhava and junior Maria Santos earned the first win with a close sweep of Zoya Chulak and Martyna Ostrzygalo in the no. 2 spot, 6-1.
Junior Sana Garakani and sophomore Tereza Polakova played as a pair for the first time since February 28 against UCF, successful over Midori Castillo-Meza and Belen Nevenhoven 6-4 in the no. 3 position.
In the no. 1 spot, sophomores Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Charlotte Keitel faced Danielle Tuhten and Josie Usereau with a 4-5 score before going unfinished.
Polakova clinched the match for K-State in the no. 6 position over Chulak for her 30th overall win as a Wildcat. She secured the first set but fell short in the second with a tiebreaker score of 5-7. Battling back, Polakova kept her footing for a final of 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, her first win since facing Houston.
Chogsomjav collected the first singles win for the Cats over Castillo-Meza in the no. 3 spot. She also started with a win in the first set, and after faltering in the second, Chogsomjav was unstoppable in the last set, almost sweeping her opponent with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Chogsomjav is undefeated in three-set matches against Big 12 opponents over two seasons at 4-0.
Kulhava claimed her first three set victory of the spring in the no. 5 position over Narendran. She was down in the first set but recorded straight sets over her opponent in the second and third with similar scores of 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Keitel was in the middle of a third set tiebreaker when her match went unfinished against Ostrzygalo in the no. 2 spot. Keitel won the first set but almost went scoreless in the second at 6-3, 1-6, leading to a tiebreaker where she was up 6-6 (5-1) in her fifth three set match of the spring.
Santos was also close to a finale in her third set in the no. 4 position against Tuhten. After being down in the first set Santos came back in the second at 1-6, 6-3, leading in the final set, 5-2, before stoppage.
Freshman Zhanel Rustemova battled in the no. 1 spot against #47 Usereau, entering her first three set match this season. Encountering high scoring first and second sets, Rustemova faltered in the first but came back in the second with an identical score in her favor. Ultimately, her momentum faltered for a loss at 5-7, 7-5, 0-6.
K-State will continue the weekend on Sunday (March 23) facing Arizona State (10-5, 5-2 Big 12) at 12 p.m. at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.
FROM THE COURTS
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On doubles points being crucial to a match…
"Obviously that was great by our team today, helps when you get doubles point, which we've been preaching. We know we've been close to beating some of these teams that are higher ranked, but we always say that's still an imaginary number, because, you know, all that matters is the day."
On being consistent the key to success…
"Really good last week against Oklahoma State, we just didn't do a good enough job of closing our third sets and that was kind of the message that we were going to preach this week, is just be consistent. When you're consistent, you keep showing back up, and that was one thing we were missing last week, and they did that this week, because this team was good, at any moment, they could have turned it around after we won that doubles point. And, you know, just credit to our girls for showing up and never going down."
Arizona vs K-State
Mike Goss Tennis Stadium
Manhattan, Kan.
K-State 4, #35 Arizona 1
Singles Competition
1. #47 Josie Usereau (UA) def. Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) 7-5, 5-7, 6-0
2. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) vs Martyna Ostrzygalo (UA) 6-3, 1-6, 6-6 (5-1), unfinished
3. Maralgoo Chogsomjav (KSU) def. Midori Castillo-Meza (UA) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
4. Maria Santos (KSU) vs Danielle Tuhten (UA) 1-6, 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
5. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) def. Tanvi Narendran (UA) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
6. Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Zoya Chulak (UA) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) vs Danielle Tuhten/Josie Usereau (UA) 4-5, unfinished
2. Veronika Kulhava/Maria Santos (KSU) def. Zoya Chulak/Martyna Ostrzygalo (UA) 6-1
3. Sana Garakani/Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Midori Castillo-Meza/Belen Nevenhoven (UA) 6-4
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Tennis Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
K-State (7-6, 4-2 Big 12) won the doubles point over #35 Arizona (14-6, 5-2 Big 12) leading to three-set matches in all six singles competition, the Cats victorious in three match ups. It's the first time in at least 10 years that clinching a dual match resulted in three sets on all singles courts.
The Wildcats secured two doubles wins for the first time since facing Houston on March 2. Senior Veronika Kulhava and junior Maria Santos earned the first win with a close sweep of Zoya Chulak and Martyna Ostrzygalo in the no. 2 spot, 6-1.
Junior Sana Garakani and sophomore Tereza Polakova played as a pair for the first time since February 28 against UCF, successful over Midori Castillo-Meza and Belen Nevenhoven 6-4 in the no. 3 position.
In the no. 1 spot, sophomores Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Charlotte Keitel faced Danielle Tuhten and Josie Usereau with a 4-5 score before going unfinished.
Polakova clinched the match for K-State in the no. 6 position over Chulak for her 30th overall win as a Wildcat. She secured the first set but fell short in the second with a tiebreaker score of 5-7. Battling back, Polakova kept her footing for a final of 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, her first win since facing Houston.
Chogsomjav collected the first singles win for the Cats over Castillo-Meza in the no. 3 spot. She also started with a win in the first set, and after faltering in the second, Chogsomjav was unstoppable in the last set, almost sweeping her opponent with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Chogsomjav is undefeated in three-set matches against Big 12 opponents over two seasons at 4-0.
Kulhava claimed her first three set victory of the spring in the no. 5 position over Narendran. She was down in the first set but recorded straight sets over her opponent in the second and third with similar scores of 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Keitel was in the middle of a third set tiebreaker when her match went unfinished against Ostrzygalo in the no. 2 spot. Keitel won the first set but almost went scoreless in the second at 6-3, 1-6, leading to a tiebreaker where she was up 6-6 (5-1) in her fifth three set match of the spring.
Santos was also close to a finale in her third set in the no. 4 position against Tuhten. After being down in the first set Santos came back in the second at 1-6, 6-3, leading in the final set, 5-2, before stoppage.
Freshman Zhanel Rustemova battled in the no. 1 spot against #47 Usereau, entering her first three set match this season. Encountering high scoring first and second sets, Rustemova faltered in the first but came back in the second with an identical score in her favor. Ultimately, her momentum faltered for a loss at 5-7, 7-5, 0-6.
K-State will continue the weekend on Sunday (March 23) facing Arizona State (10-5, 5-2 Big 12) at 12 p.m. at Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.
FROM THE COURTS
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On doubles points being crucial to a match…
"Obviously that was great by our team today, helps when you get doubles point, which we've been preaching. We know we've been close to beating some of these teams that are higher ranked, but we always say that's still an imaginary number, because, you know, all that matters is the day."
On being consistent the key to success…
"Really good last week against Oklahoma State, we just didn't do a good enough job of closing our third sets and that was kind of the message that we were going to preach this week, is just be consistent. When you're consistent, you keep showing back up, and that was one thing we were missing last week, and they did that this week, because this team was good, at any moment, they could have turned it around after we won that doubles point. And, you know, just credit to our girls for showing up and never going down."
Arizona vs K-State
Mike Goss Tennis Stadium
Manhattan, Kan.
K-State 4, #35 Arizona 1
Singles Competition
1. #47 Josie Usereau (UA) def. Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) 7-5, 5-7, 6-0
2. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) vs Martyna Ostrzygalo (UA) 6-3, 1-6, 6-6 (5-1), unfinished
3. Maralgoo Chogsomjav (KSU) def. Midori Castillo-Meza (UA) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
4. Maria Santos (KSU) vs Danielle Tuhten (UA) 1-6, 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
5. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) def. Tanvi Narendran (UA) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
6. Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Zoya Chulak (UA) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) vs Danielle Tuhten/Josie Usereau (UA) 4-5, unfinished
2. Veronika Kulhava/Maria Santos (KSU) def. Zoya Chulak/Martyna Ostrzygalo (UA) 6-1
3. Sana Garakani/Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Midori Castillo-Meza/Belen Nevenhoven (UA) 6-4
-- k-statesports.com --
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Tennis Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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