PULLMAN, Wash. – Sophomore Maria Biryukova captured four victories Friday as No. 59 Washington State split a pair of matches at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. The Cougars dropped a close 5-2 decision to No. 64 Houston before defeating Missouri-Kansas City 6-1. Following the matches the Cougars moved to 11-2 on the season.
Against UMKC, the Cougars never trailed as they captured the opening doubles point en route to the victory. At No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina and Lize Leenknecht defeated Dimitra Stavrianakou and Linda Ammar Mouhoub, 8-1 just before Maria Biryukova and Olga Musilovich finished off an 8-2 win over Maddie Schulte and Gaby Pintos at No. 2. At No. 3, WSU's Dajana Ognjenovic and Charlotte Koning were leading Raquel Argenal and Amelie Amsallem 5-1 when the match was stopped.
In singles Biryukova, Luzina and Leenknecht quickly clinched the match for WSU. Biryukova defeated Amsallem 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3, Luzina won by identical scores at No. 1 and Leenknecht defeated Argenal 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2, giving the Cougars a 4-0 lead.
Ognjenovic, playing No. 4 for the first time this season, recorded a straight-set win over Schulte, 7-5, 6-1. With the team match already decided, the final two matches were contested as 8-game pro sets. At No. 5 Musilovich defeated Mariam Kurasbediani 8-5 while Pintos earned UMKC's only point with an 8-4 win over Emily Funabiki.
Against Houston, Maria Biryukova was first off the court against Houston, defeating Elena Kordolaime 7-5, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. Leenknecht gave WSU a 2-1 lead as she defeated Celia Fraser 6-1, 6-4 at No. 3. Houston evened the match when Maria Cardenas rallied from a set down for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Musilovich at No. 4.
Houston took a 3-2 lead when Despoina Vogasari earned a hard-fought, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Luzina at No. 1 and then clinched the victory as Tina Rupert posted a 6-3, 6-4 win over Ognjenovic. At No. 6 Koning and Charlotte Phillips split sets and played a 10-point tiebreaker for the third, with Phillips escaping with a 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (13-11) win for the 5-2 final margin of victory.
The day began with Houston taking the opening doubles point. WSU's duo of Biryukova and Musilovich came off first, defeating Cardenas and Rupert 8-3 at No. 2. Houston evened the match as Phillips and Fraser defeated Koning and Ognjenovic 8-3 at No. 3, leaving the decisive point to No. 1. The WSU pair of Luzina and Leenknecht fought back from 1-4 down and then saved three match points before Houston's Vogasari and Kordolaime rallied for the 8-6 victory.
The Cougars are next in action Friday when they travel to Boise, Idaho to face Boise State.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 59 Washington State 6 def. Missouri-Kansas City 1
February 21, 2014
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Dimitra Stavrianakou/Linda Ammar Mouhoub (UMKC) 8-1
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Olga Musilovich, (WSU) def. Maddie Schulte/Gaby Pintos (UMKC) 8-2
No. 3 Charlotte Koning/Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) vs. Raquel Argenal/Amelie Amsallem (UMKC) 5-1 DNF
Order of Finish: 1,2
SINGLES
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) def. Dimitra Stavrianakou (UMKC) 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Raquel Argenal (UMKC) 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 Maria Biryukova (WSU) vs. Amelie Amsallem (UMKC) 6-0, 6-2
No. 4 Dajana Ognjenovic (UWSU) def. Maddie Schulte (UMKC) 7-5, 6-1
No. 5 Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Mariam Kurasbediani (UMKC) 8-5
No. 6 Gaby Pintos (UMKC) def. Emily Funabiki (WSU) 8-4
Order of Finish: 3,1,2,4,6,5
No. 64 Houston 5 def. No. 59 Washington State 2
February 21, 2014
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Despoina Vogasari/Elena Kordolaime (UH) def. Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) 8-6
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Olga Musilovich, (WSU) vs. Maria Cardenas/Tina Rupert (UH) 8-3
No. 3 Charlotte Phillips/Celia Fraser (UH) def. Charlotte Koning/Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) 8-3.
Order of Finish: 2,3,1
SINGLES
No. 1 No. 125 Despoina Vogasari (UH) def. Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. No. 122 Elena Kordolaime (UH) 7-5, 6-0
No. 3 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Celia Fraser (UH) 6-1, 6-4
No. 4 Maria Cardenas (UH) def. Olga Musilovich (WSU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 Tina Rupert (UH) def. Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 Charlotte Phillips (UH) def. Charlotte Koning (WSU) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (13-11)
Order of Finish: 2,3,4,1,5,6
