SPOKANE, Wash. – Sophomore Dajana Ognjenovic and junior Charlotte Koning combined for three victories to lead the Washington State tennis team to a 5-2 victory over No. 65 San Diego Saturday afternoon at The Stevens Center on the campus of Gonzaga University. With the win the Cougars defeat a second-straight nationally-ranked team to improve to 10-1 on the season while San Diego falls to 2-3.
The day began with the Cougars taking two doubles matches to earn the opening point. At No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina and Lize Leenknecht recorded an 8-6 win over Marta Stojanovic and Mikayla Morkel-B rink. Koning and Ognjenovic followed shortly thereafter as they defeated Shani Blecher and Idil Haciraifoglu 8-6 at No. 3, clinching the point. WSU's No. 2 duo of Maria Biryukova and Olga Musilovich were leading Colomba Di Filippo and Anna Depenau 7-6 when the match was halted with the team point already clinched.
Coming off her thrilling three-set victory over Fresno State Friday, Ognjenovic left no doubt Saturday, defeating Morkel-Brink 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5, giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead. The Toreros tied it at 2 as Stojanovic defeated Biryukova 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) at No. 2 and Di Filippo posted a 6-4, 6-4 win over Musilovich at No. 4.
That was as close as San Diego came as Luzina won her seventh-straight match following a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 win over Blecher at No. 1. Luzina is now 21-3 overall and 10-1 in dual matches this season, all at the No. 1 position. Koning then clinched the match with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win over Haciraifoglu at No. 6, giving WSU an insurmountable 4-2 lead.
The final match on court was at No. 3 where Leenknecht rallied from a slow start to defeat Depenau 0-6, 6-3, 7-5 for the final margin of victory.
The Cougars are next in action Friday when they host three matches at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. The first match is 11 a.m. against Houston. Washington State was scheduled to face Princeton Sunday morning but that match was cancelled as Princeton had travel issues.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 5 def. No. 65 San Diego 2
February 15, 2014
Spokane, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Marta Stojanovic/Mikayla Morkel-Brink (USD) 8-6
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Olga Musilovich, (WSU) vs. Colomba Di Filippo/Anna Depenau (USD) 7-6 DNF
No. 3 Charlotte Koning/Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) def. Shani Blecher/Idil Haciraifoglu (USD) 8-6
Order of Finish: 1,2
SINGLES
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) def. Shani Blecher (USD) 7-6 (6), 6-1
No. 2 Marta Stojanovic (USD) def. Maria Biryukova (WSU) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
No. 3 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Anna Depenau (USD) 0-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 4 Colomba Di Filippo (USD) def. Olga Musilovich (WSU) 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) def. Mikayla Morkel-Brink (USD) 6-4, 6-1
No. 6 Charlotte Koning (WSU) def. Idil Haciraifoglu (USD) 7-6 (5), 6-2
Order of Finish: 5,2,4,1,6,3
