Tulane University
Oklahoma
Women's Tennis Advances To NCAA Round Of 16
May 16, 2004 | Women's Tennis
May 16, 2004
NORMAN, Okla. - - The Tulane women's tennis team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 16 for the first time in school history, thanks to the Green Wave's 4-2 win over No. 20 Oklahoma at the Sooners' Headington Tennis Complex on Sunday.
Tulane, the NCAA Tournament's No. 16 seed, improves to 27-1 with the win, a record which includes a 17-1 mark against ranked opponents. The Green Wave are ranked 11th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. Oklahoma, ranked 20th by the ITA, ends its season with a 22-5 record.
"We are extremely excited to be moving on to the Round of 16," Tulane head coach David Schumacher said. "We had a tough match today against a very well-coached Oklahoma team. We had to really persevere and fight for every point. I am proud of the girls for getting such a big win on the road."
Tulane looked in control early, taking a 3-1 lead in the race to four points, only to see Oklahoma stage a mini rally. The Wave jumped ahead 1-0 with wins on courts two and three in doubles action to claim the opening doubles point. The Wave's Nancy Kockott and Dorottya Magas, ranked 45th by the ITA, cruised to an 8-3 win over the Oklahoma team of Braver and Lykina at the No. 2 spot. Maria Ivanov and Jenny Kuhn wrapped up the doubles point for the Wave with their 8-6 victory over the Sooner squad of Baker and Griffin.
Oklahoma answered, however, with the first point in singles play to knot the score at 1-1 thanks to Anda Perianu's 6-1, 6-2 win over the Wave's Maria Ivanov at the No. 1 spot. Perianu is ranked 5th in singles by the ITA, while Ivanov is listed 81st. But Dorottya Magas and Nancy Kockott pushed the Tulane lead to 3-1 with wins on courts five and six, respectively.
Magas, a freshman from Budapest, Hungary, had little trouble with Oklahoma's Jessica Braver at the No. 5 spot, turning in a 6-2, 6-0 win. Kockott, a junior from East London, South Africa, added a 7-5, 6-4 win over Bethany Griffin on court six to give the Wave the two-point cushion. Oklahoma pulled to within one behind Irina Lykina's 7-6, 6-4 win over 99th-ranked Jenny Kuhn on court two, but freshman Darya Ivanov, ranked 91st by the ITA, closed out the win for the Green Wave with her 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 win over Heather Saluri on court four.
"Tulane is one of the top teams in the nation," Oklahoma coach Mark Johnson said. "They are loaded from top to bottom."
Next up for the Green Wave is a Round of 16 match-up with No. 23 Miami on Thursday, May 20 in Athens, Ga. The Hurricanes knocked off defending national champion and No. 1 seed Florida in Gainesville on Saturday.
No. 11 Tulane 4, No. 20 Oklahoma 2
Singles
1. Anda Perianu (OU) (#5) def. Maria Ivanov (TU) (#81), 6-1, 6-2
2. Irina Lykina (OU) def. Jenny Kuhn (TU) (#99), 7-6 (2), 6-4
3. Gabby Baker (OU) vs. Julie Smekodub (TU) (#58), DNF
4. Darya Ivanov (TU) (#91) def. Heather Saluri (OU), 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2
5. Dorottya Magas (TU) def. Jessica Braver (OU), 6-2, 6-0
6. Nancy Kockott (TU) def. Beth Griffin (OU), 7-5, 6-4
Doubles
1. Perianu/Saluri (OU) (#17) vs. D. Ivanov /Smekodub (TU), DNF
2. Kockott/Magas (TU) (#45) def. Braver/Lykina (OU), 8-3
3. M. Ivanov/Kuhn (TU) def. Baker/Griffin (OU), 8-6
Finish Order
Doubles - 2, 3
Singles - 1, 5, 6, 2, 4
