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 3
March 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--