STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s women’s tennis team suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat to No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday at the Greenwood Tennis Center, despite winning the doubles point.
The loss drops the Cowgirls to 3-4 on the season as they prepare to open Big 12 Conference play next weekend, hosting West Virginia on February 27th and Cincinnati on March 1st.
Oklahoma State initially secured the doubles point, overcoming a forfeit at court three due to injury. The duo of Anastasiya Komar and Rose Marie Nijkamp defeated Ohio State’s Alessia Cau and Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev, 6-3. Olivia Lincer and Luca Udvardy then clinched the point for the Cowgirls with a 6-4 victory over the Buckeyes’ No. 60 ranked pairing of Luciana Perry and Audrey Spencer.
The match swung in Ohio State’s favor in singles play, beginning with another forfeit for Oklahoma State at court six, also due to injury. No. 2 Teah Chavez defeated Komar 6-3, 6-3, giving Ohio State the lead. Spencer extended the Buckeyes’ advantage with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Melisa Ercan, who was playing her first match of the season.
Oklahoma State responded as Udvardy secured a victory, defeating No. 44 Nao Nishino 7-5, 6-3, marking her third consecutive singles win. However, Ohio State’s Luciana Perry ultimately clinched the match for the Buckeyes, overcoming No. 40 Olivia Lincer 6-4, 7-6 (7-1).
Nijkamp managed a final point for the Cowgirls, defeating No. 87 Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev in a three-set battle, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The order of finish was doubles (3*, 1, 2); singles (6*, 2, 5, 4, 1, 3). The asterisk denotes a court forfeited due to injury.
