Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Missouri
Cowgirl Tennis Knocks Off Missouri, 6-1
March 28, 2010 | Cowgirl Tennis
March 28, 2010
STILLWATER, Okla. – The No. 61 Oklahoma State women's tennis team defeated Missouri, 6-1, Sunday at the DeBois Tennis Complex, winning eight of the nine matches played in the dual. OSU improves to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 Conference play with the win.
The Cowgirls, who claimed their first conference win of the year Friday as they beat No. 65 Colorado, 5-2, started the day by winning all three doubles matches to go up 1-0.
“We practiced hard on doubles yesterday,” coach Chris Young said. “I think there was just a mindset coming into today that we weren't going to lose the doubles point. I think we're getting to the point where enough is enough and we've got to step up and take it. Doubles is just attitude and the girls came with the attitude that they were going to win today.”
OSU won much more than the doubles point, however, taking five of the six singles matches from a Missouri team that had won two of its last three dual matches entering today's competition.
Sasha Belova was the first Cowgirl to score in singles play, quickly handling Missouri's Mallory Weber in straight sets at the No. 3 spot to put OSU up, 2-0.
Then Sarah Meghoufel added to the Cowgirls' total, knocking off Mizzou's Maria Christensen, 6-3, 6-4.
After Alexandra Cristello lost two close sets at No. 6 singles to give the Tigers their only team point, Nataliya Shatkovskaya, Malika Rose and Alisa Buslaieva closed out the match with wins at No. 2, 5 and 1 singles, respectively.
Buslaieva's win at the No. 1 spot was a long, hard-fought match where she closed out the final set to win, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
“Alisa has kind of gotten on a stretch where she's gotten some tough luck and she needed that winning spirit again,” Young said. “She just had to go for it. That was the difference for her today – just going for it. She stayed tough through everything and I think that's why I'm most proud of her.”
The Cowgirls resume play April 2, facing Texas at noon in the third match of a five-match home stand. Admission to all home Cowgirl tennis matches is free.
No. 61 Oklahoma State 6, Missouri 1
March 28, 2010 - DeBois Tennis Complex - Stillwater, Okla.
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Sasha Belova/Nataliya Shatkovskaya (OSU) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie/Mallory Weber, 8-3
No. 2 – Sarah Meghoufel/Malika Rose (OSU) def. Sofia Ayala/Jamie Mera, 7-6(2)
No. 3 – Alisa Buslaieva/Alexandra Cristello (OSU) def. Kristen Bleakley/Andrea Lewis, 8-2
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
No. 1 – Alisa Buslaieva (OSU) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie (MU), 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
No. 2 – Nataliya Shatkovskaya (OSU) def. Jamie Mera (MU), 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 – Sasha Belova (OSU) def. Mallory Weber (MU), 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 – Sarah Meghoufel (OSU) def. Maria Christensen (MU), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 – Malika Rose (OSU) def. Sofia Ayala (MU), 3-6, 7-5, 10-4
No. 6 – Andrea Lewis (MU) def. Alexandra Cristello (OSU), 7-5, 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 4, 6, 2*, 5, 1
Players Mentioned
