In a weekend of triumph for the Women’s Tennis Team, the Longhorns improved to 15-4 after defeating No. 60 Kansas and Iowa State on Thursday and Saturday. These past two matches mark the latest in a long line of victories for Texas in Big 12 play this season.
Texas soundly overcame the Jayhawks 4-2 for their seventh conference win of the season. In doubles, Texas once again performed adequately, securing victories through their doubles teams of graduate student Tanya Sasnouskaya and senior Malaika Rapolu on court one and senior Charlotte Chavatipon and redshirt sophomore Vivian Ovrootsky on court two.
In singles, attention was directed towards court two when Sasnouskaya defeated her opponent redshirt junior Maria Titova in a match-clinching comeback. In a long first, Sasnouskaya overcame a 5-3 deficit and pulled ahead 6-5. Shortly thereafter Titova forced a tiebreaker which took a 4-1 lead. Sasnouskaya forced the score to 6-6 and never looked back, winning the next two games.
Also performing well in the match was freshman Shachf Lieberman. Lieberman has been a part of the lineup the last couple of weeks due to various lingering injuries among teammates or ineligibility. Thrust into action, Lieberman has performed admirably including a comeback in her second set against sophomore opponent Tamari Gagoshidze to clinch her match for the team.
After the win over the Jayhawks, the Longhorns had no problem taking down Iowa State 4-1.
Texas clinched the doubles point easily, with senior Taisiya Pachkaleva and Lieberman sweeping Anna Kuearum and Valeska San Martin 6-0. Despite Iowa State taking the first game, graduate student Tanya Sasnouskaya and senior Malaika Rapolu rallied to beat Isabella Dunlap and Ashlee Narker 6-2, giving the Longhorns the first point.
In singles play, Texas’ Ovrootsky overtook San Martin 6-2, 6-1, continuing Texas’ momentum and adding another point to the tally.
Cyclone freshman Gala Arangio gave Iowa State its only point of the day after beating Longhorn freshman Maddy MacNeille 6-3, 6-0. Texas took it in stride as Chavatipon flattened Dunlap 6-0, 6-3 and Pachkaleva defeated sophomore Juliette Nask 6-4, 6-1.
One of Texas’ top players, junior Sabina Zeynalova, is still out due to injury, but Head Coach Howard Joffe said it won’t sideline her for the remainder of the season.
“We need to make sure that she is reintroduced to tennis and competing so that her injury doesn’t flare again,” Joffe said after the match against Oklahoma State on March 22.
Texas will face No. 25 Texas Tech at home Thursday at the Texas Tennis Center, with just four matches until the Big 12 tournament.
