BOULDER, Colo. – Maria Biryukova and Donika Bashota both collect their 29th victories on the season, but it was not enough as the Cougars came up short against No. 64 Colorado, 4-3, at the South Campus Tennis Courts Sunday afternoon.
Biryukova opened the match with an easy 6-3 first, before Julyette Steur took the second, 6-2. Biryukova came out strong in the third set grabbing an early break en route to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win. Bashota fell into trouble early to Kyra Wojcik and trailed 4-3 before rallying back to claim the first set, 7-5. Bashota found her form and posted an easy 6-1 second set, rounding off a 7-5, 6-1 win.
With the victories, Biryukova and Bashota join teammate Elizaveta Luzina (2014) at fourth on WSU's single-season singles victory list.
Earlier in the day, the match began with doubles where the Cougars (12-10, 0-8 Pac-12) struggled late. At No. 2 doubles, Victoria Matejevic and Bashota opened the day for the Cougars with little trouble, rolling over Alexandra Aiell and Ashley Tiefel, 8-2. At No.1 doubles, Luzina and Lize Leenknecht ran into trouble against Tina Bokhua and Steur, falling 8-2, before Nastia Vasyukhina and Biryukova at No. 3 were outdueled 8-5 by Nuria Ormeño Ruiz and Wojcik.
In singles play, the two teams fought back-and-forth in a neck-and-neck battle. Trailing 1-0, the Cougars quickly evened the match at one apiece as Matejevic at No. 5 cruised to an easy 6-0, 6-1 victory over Vitaliya Alkhovik. Colorado (10-8, 1-6 Pac-12) regained a 2-1 advantage as Leenknecht at No. 3 dropped a hard-fought battle to Ormeño Ruiz, 7-6 (2), 6-2.
After Bashota tied the match at two, losses by Vasyukhina at No. 6 and Luzina at No. 1 sealed the Buffaloes first Pac-12 win of the season. Vasyukhina's late rally wasn't enough falling to Tiefel, 6-2, 7-5, before Luzina was bested by Bokhua, 6-3, 6-4.
Biryukova finished last and earned the Cougars one more to finish the match, 4-3 in favor of Colorado.
The Cougars finish Pac-12 Conference action on the road as they travel to Stanford, April 11 and California, April 12.
No. 64 Colorado 4, Washington State 3March 29, 2015
South Campus Tennis Courts
Boulder, Colo.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Bokhua/Steur (CU) def. Luzina/Leenknecht (WSU) 8-2
No. 2 Bashota/Matejevic (WSU) def. Aiello/Tiefel (CU) 8-2
No. 3 Ormeńo Ruiz/Wojcik (CU) def. Biryukova/Vasyukhina (WSU) 8-5
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
SINGLES
No. 1 Tina Bokhua (CU) def. Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Julyette Steur (CU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
No. 3 Nuria Ormeńo Ruiz (CU) def. Lize Leenknecht (WSU) 7-6(2), 6-2
No. 4 Donika Bashota (WSU) def. Kyra Wojcik (CU) 7-5, 6-1
No. 5 Victoria Matejevic (WSU) def. Vitaliya Alkhovik (CU) 6-0, 6-1
No. 6 Ashley Tiefel (CU) def. Nastia Vasyukhina (WSU) 6-2, 7-5
Order of Finish: 5,3,4,6,1,2
--wsucougars.com--