Cowgirls Tennis Team Makes History With Share Of Big 12 Title

Oklahoma State’s women’s tennis team made history with a 4-1 victory against No. 33 TCU on Sunday inside the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center.

For the first time since 2001, the No. 15 Cowgirls clinched at least a share of the Big 12 Conference regular season title.

The Cowgirls have a chance to win the conference title outright next weekend with a win against either Kansas State or Kansas next weekend.

The match also served as senior day for Cowgirls Maria Alvarez and Kelsey Laurente.

“Couldn’t have scripted it any better for us on senior day, to have this type of crowd for College Match Day,” coach Chris Young said. “For our two seniors to get two of the singles wins for us, it’s just an exciting day and we’re so proud of the seniors.”

The Cowgirls (19-4; 7-0 Big 12) continuously gained momentum from a capacity crowd inside the Greenwood Tennis Center. OSU finishes the regular season with a 13-0 record at home.

OSU’s win streak has now reached eight-straight matches, including four home shutouts.

“This crowd is amazing, our fans are amazing, the support they give is indescribable to us,” Young said. “We have been to many places this year and nobody has the home fans that we have.”

On a day dedicated to their final home match, Laurente and Alvarez showed why they are two of the most accomplished Cowgirls in school history.

The match was tied at one before Laurente spearheaded the charge of three-straight Cowgirl victories.

The senior from Miramar, Florida won her fifth match in a row by defeating Olaya Garrido-Rivas, 6-4, 6-4. The victory gave the Cowgirls a 2-1 lead over the Horned Frogs, who entered the match ranked No. 33.

One court over at the No. 6 position Alvarez pushed the lead to 3-1. The Zaragoza, Spain native earned her 75th career victory with a win against Alexis Pereira, 6-4, 6-3. Alvarez ranks fifth in career singles wins during the Big 12 era.

“Today was a really important match for all of us, we knew that if we won this match we would become Big 12 Champs and I thought every one was really excited,” Alvarez said. “It’s been really fun playing with [Laurente] and I’m really proud of every thing that she’s accomplished so far.”

Katarina Adamovic secured a place in the record books for the current set of Cowgirls at the No. 1 position. Adamovic’s return to action was key for OSU, as she clinched the match with a win against Marie Norris, 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles play needed all three courts to determine which team took the first point of the day.

At the No. 2 position Viktoriya Lushkova and Carla Tur Mari continued their run of dominance. The Cowgirl tandem, ranked No. 50, took down Marie Norris and Alexis Pereira, 6-2, to improve to 21-1 in dual matches.

Adamovic and Vladica Babic gave the Pokes the doubles point at the No. 3 position. The duo found themselves down 4-3, but stormed back to take three-consecutive sets to defeat Garrido-Rivas and Mia King, 6-4. 

Young and the Cowgirls hit the road for the final matches of the regular season against Kansas State and No. 35 Kansas next weekend.

 “I think getting a share of the title is exciting, but we have two more matches to play and we have a lot of goals to accomplish,” Young said. “If you were going to script it out, you couldn’t script it any better for these two seniors to have this type of accomplishment on senior day; they made it happen on the court.”

No. 15 Oklahoma State 4 vs. No. 33 TCU 1

Singles | Order of Finish: 5, 4, 6, 1

1. #47 Katarina Adamovic (OSU) def. Marie Norris (TCU) 6-4, 6-1

?2. #44 Vladica Babic (OSU) vs. Caroline Wegner (TCU) 6-1, 4-6, 5-0, unfinished

3. #65 Viktoriya Lushkova (OSU) vs. Seda Arantekin (TCU) 5-7, 2-5, unfinished

4. Kelsey Laurente (OSU) def. Olaya Garrido-Rivas (TCU) 6-4, 6-4?

5. Aleksandra Zenovka (TCU) def. Carla Tur Mari (OSU) 6-3, 6-4?

6. Maria Alvarez (OSU) def. Alexis Pereira (TCU) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles | Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3

1. #27 Seda Arantekin/Caroline Wegner (TCU) def. #36 Maria Alvarez/Kelsey Laurente (OSU) 6-3

2. #50 Viktoriya Lushkova/Carla Tur Mari (OSU) def. Marie Norris/Alexis Pereira (TCU) 6-2

?3. #54 Katarina Adamovic/Vladica Babic (OSU) def. Olaya Garrido-Rivas/Mia King (TCU) 6-4