Kansas State University Athletics
Thursday, April 17
Waco, Texas
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
2
vs
4
BYU
K-State’s Big 12 Championship Journey Ends in Second Round
Apr 18, 2025 | Tennis
It was a consecutive season the Wildcats have reached the second day of competition
WACO, Texas- The K-State women's tennis team fell short in the second round of the Big 12 Championship on Thursday (April 17) 4-2 to BYU, at Hurd Tennis Center. It marked consecutive seasons the Wildcats have advanced to the second day of competition.
K-State (10-12, 7-8 Big 12), the 10-seed, earned the doubles point for a consecutive match, against 7-seed BYU (18-9, 8-6 Big 12), but could not secure a win with the final three singles matches resulting in three sets. The Cougars now leads the series 2-1 against the Wildcats, going 1-1 this season.
Sophomores Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Charlotte Keitel defeated Chelsea Blustein and Kendall Kovick in the no. 1 spot, 6-4. The pair led the team in conference wins with a record of 6-4. Senior Veronika Kulhava and sophomore Tereza Polakova secured another win as a duo with a 6-1 final over Grace Levelston and Elizabeth Tullis in the no. 3 position.
Junior Sana Garakani and freshman Zhanel Rustemova competed together again for the first time since March 14 against Oklahoma State. In the no. 2 spot, they were leading Bobo Huang and Sue Yan Tan at 5-4 before going unfinished.
After clinching the match for the Cats in the first round against West Virginia, Keitel earned the only singles point of the night for the Wildcats. Competing against Kovick for the second time this season in the no. 3 position, she secured the first set but dropped the second in a high scoring 5-7 score. Keitel secured the point with little resistance in the final set at 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
Polakova also competed against the same competitor from April 3, Madison Smith in the no. 6 spot, the two going into three sets facing second and third set tiebreakers. Polakova swept the first set at 6-0 before falling short two points in the following second set. The two were in the middle of a consecutive tiebreaker when the match went unfinished at 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-6 (2-3).
Kulhava was the third Wildcat to encounter a three-set match, in the no. 5 position against Yan Tan. After falling short in the first she battled back 6-3 to force a final set. The two battled in tight competition before Kulhava fell short 5-7, 6-3, 4-6.
In her fourth match in the no. 1 spot, Chogsomjav competed in a back-and-forth tiebreaker first set against Huang. After a competitive start she could not regain her momentum in the second set, losing 6-7 (5-7), 1-6.
Rustemova was back in singles play, facing Levelston in the no. 2 position. After she was unable to string together a point in the first set she fought back in the second but it was not enough to force a third set at 0-6, 4-6. Junior Maria Santos faced Bluestein in the no. 4 spot, falling short in straight sets. She was just shy of a win in the first set but lost her footing in the second in a 4-6, 2-6 final result.
FROM THE COURTS
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On the Wildcats' end in the Big 12 Championship…
"That was a tough way to finish a hard fought battle. We gave it our all and handled ourselves with class. I couldn't be more proud of this group and enjoyed watching them compete."
#62 K-State vs #68 BYU
Hurd Tennis Center
Waco, Texas
(7) BYU 4, (10) K-State 1
Singles Competition
1. Bobo Huang (BYU) def. Maralgoo Chogsomjav (KSU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
2. Grace Levelston (BYU) def. Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) def. Kendall Kovick (BYU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
4. Chelsea Bluestein (BYU) def. Maria Santos (KSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Sue Yan Tan (BYU) def. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
6. Tereza Polakova (KSU) vs Madison Smith (BYU) 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-6 (2-3), unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) def. Chelsea Bluestein/Kendall Kovick (BYU) 6-4
2. Sana Garakani/Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) vs Bobo Huang/Sue Yan Tan (BYU) 5-4, unfinished
3. Veronika Kulhava/Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Grace Levelston/Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) 6-1
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 (10-12, 7-8 Big 12), the 10-seed, earned the doubles point for a consecutive match, against 7-seed BYU (18-9, 8-6 Big 12), but could not secure a win with the final three singles matches resulting in three sets. The Cougars now leads the series 2-1 against the Wildcats, going 1-1 this season.
Sophomores Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Charlotte Keitel defeated Chelsea Blustein and Kendall Kovick in the no. 1 spot, 6-4. The pair led the team in conference wins with a record of 6-4. Senior Veronika Kulhava and sophomore Tereza Polakova secured another win as a duo with a 6-1 final over Grace Levelston and Elizabeth Tullis in the no. 3 position.
Junior Sana Garakani and freshman Zhanel Rustemova competed together again for the first time since March 14 against Oklahoma State. In the no. 2 spot, they were leading Bobo Huang and Sue Yan Tan at 5-4 before going unfinished.
After clinching the match for the Cats in the first round against West Virginia, Keitel earned the only singles point of the night for the Wildcats. Competing against Kovick for the second time this season in the no. 3 position, she secured the first set but dropped the second in a high scoring 5-7 score. Keitel secured the point with little resistance in the final set at 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
Polakova also competed against the same competitor from April 3, Madison Smith in the no. 6 spot, the two going into three sets facing second and third set tiebreakers. Polakova swept the first set at 6-0 before falling short two points in the following second set. The two were in the middle of a consecutive tiebreaker when the match went unfinished at 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-6 (2-3).
Kulhava was the third Wildcat to encounter a three-set match, in the no. 5 position against Yan Tan. After falling short in the first she battled back 6-3 to force a final set. The two battled in tight competition before Kulhava fell short 5-7, 6-3, 4-6.
In her fourth match in the no. 1 spot, Chogsomjav competed in a back-and-forth tiebreaker first set against Huang. After a competitive start she could not regain her momentum in the second set, losing 6-7 (5-7), 1-6.
Rustemova was back in singles play, facing Levelston in the no. 2 position. After she was unable to string together a point in the first set she fought back in the second but it was not enough to force a third set at 0-6, 4-6. Junior Maria Santos faced Bluestein in the no. 4 spot, falling short in straight sets. She was just shy of a win in the first set but lost her footing in the second in a 4-6, 2-6 final result.
FROM THE COURTS
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On the Wildcats' end in the Big 12 Championship…
"That was a tough way to finish a hard fought battle. We gave it our all and handled ourselves with class. I couldn't be more proud of this group and enjoyed watching them compete."
#62 K-State vs #68 BYU
Hurd Tennis Center
Waco, Texas
(7) BYU 4, (10) K-State 1
Singles Competition
1. Bobo Huang (BYU) def. Maralgoo Chogsomjav (KSU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
2. Grace Levelston (BYU) def. Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) def. Kendall Kovick (BYU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
4. Chelsea Bluestein (BYU) def. Maria Santos (KSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Sue Yan Tan (BYU) def. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
6. Tereza Polakova (KSU) vs Madison Smith (BYU) 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-6 (2-3), unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) def. Chelsea Bluestein/Kendall Kovick (BYU) 6-4
2. Sana Garakani/Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) vs Bobo Huang/Sue Yan Tan (BYU) 5-4, unfinished
3. Veronika Kulhava/Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Grace Levelston/Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) 6-1
-- 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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