LARAMIE – The Wyoming tennis team (11-3 overall) had to mount a comeback on Saturday in its 4-3 victory against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (9-3 overall, 4-0 Big Sky).
“That was one of the gutsiest performances I’ve seen in a long time,” head coach Dean Clower said. “The ladies bounced back with a vengeance after losing a tough doubles points and I couldn’t be more proud. To be down the whole time and rally as one unit was a testament of the heart and character this team has. Every player on this team brought fight today which is why we came up victorious.”
In doubles action, it was a tough day with Northern Arizona taking two out of three matches. Magdalena Stencel and Miranda Talbert opened up the day with a 6-4 loss against Hailey Rochin and Marta Lewandowska, but the duo of Dorottya Jonas and Ana Tkachenko defeated Brandy Walker and Hanneke Lodewijks, 6-4 to even it up. It came down the number one team of Tessa van Der Ploeg and Elisa Koonik who dropped a close one, 7-5, against Blanka Szavay and Chiara Tomasetti.
In singles, Koonik got the Cowgirls on the board with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Walker. The Lumberjacks answered by winning the next two matches to pull ahead 3-1. Tomasetti defeated Jonas, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 followed by Szavay over van Der Ploeg, 6-4, 6-3. At the number one spot, Stencel won the opening set, 6-2, which was countered by Lodewijks winning the second, 7-6 (7-2). She would respond by losing only one game in the third set, 6-1, to win the match. It came down to the final Cowgirls in action freshmen Milka Genkova and Ana Tkachenko. Tkachenko dropped only one game to win in straight sets over Eirene Granville, 6-1, 6-0, while Genkova clinched the match with a 7-6, 6-3 win against Lewandowska.
Wyoming will return to action on Thursday against the New Mexico State Aggies. The match is set for 12 p.m. MT at the UW Indoor Tennis Courts.
UW vs Montana
The Wyoming tennis team (10-3 overall) bounced back with a 7-0 sweep of the Montana Grizzlies (2-13 overall) on Friday morning at the UW Indoor Tennis Courts. With the win, the Cowgirls reached double-figures in wins for the eighth straight year and every season during head coach Dean Clower’s tenure.
“It’s always good to get another win at home,” Clower said. “Dorottya (Jonas) once again brought professionalism and intensity to every match. We need to regroup and be ready for a battle tomorrow against Northern Arizona.
In doubles action, Wyoming made quick work by sweeping all three matches to go ahead 1-0. The number two team of Dorottya Jonas and Ana Tkachenko defeated Lidia Dukic and Milica Panic, 6-2 followed by a 6-1 win by Tessa van Der Ploeg and Milka Genkova over Hannah Sulz and Catherine Orfanos. Magdalena Stencel and Miranda Talbert won at the third spot, 6-4, against Nathalie Joanlanne and Cam Kincaid.
That momentum carried over to singles as Wyoming swept all six matches. Genkova won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2, against Joanlanne, 6-0, 6-2, while Jonas beat Dukic, 6-4, 6-0. At the number three position, van Der Ploeg defeated Orfanos, 6-2, 6-3 followed by Stencel, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, over Sulz. The final two Cowgirls in action were Tkachenko and Talbert. Tkachenko didn’t drop a game in her 6-0, 6-0 victory over Kincaid and Talbert defeated Panic, 6-2, 6-2.
University of Wyoming sports coverage
in Southwest Wyoming is brought to you by these great sponsors:
Match Results
Cowgirls 7, Montana 0
Singles competition
1 Stencel (WY) def. Sulz (UM) 7-6 (7-2), 6-0
2 Jonas (WY) def. Dukic (UM) 6-4, 6-0
3 Van Der Ploeg (WY) def. Orfanos (UM) 6-2, 6-3
4 Milka Genkova (WY) def. JoAnlanne (UM) 6-0, 6-2
5 Ana Tkachenko (WY) def. Kincaid (UM) 6-0, 6-0
6 Miranda Talbert (WY) def. Panic (UM) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1 Van Der Ploeg/Genkova (WY) def. Sulz/Orfanos (UM) 6-1
2 Jonas/Tkachenko (WY) def. Dukic/Panic (UM) 6-2
3 Stencel/Talbert (WY) def. JoAnlanne/Kincaid (UM) 6-4
Cowgirls 4, N. Arizona 3
Singles competition
1 Stencel (WY) def. Lodewijks (NAU) 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1
2 Tomasetti (NAU) def. Jonas (WY) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
3 Szavay (NAU) def. Van Der Ploeg (WY) 6-4, 6-3
4 Koonik (WY) def. Walker (NAU) 6-1, 6-3
5 Genkova (WY) def. Lewandowska (NAU) 7-6, 6-3
6 Tkachenko (WY) def. Granville (NAU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1 Szavay/Tomasetti (NAU) def. Van Der Ploeg/Koonik (WY) 7-5
2 Jonas/Tkachenko (WY) def. Walker/Lodewijks (NAU) 6-4
3 Rochin/Lewandowska (NAU) def. Stencel/Talbert (WY) 6-4