Final Stats
Feb. 15, 2015
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin women's tennis team has been tough to beat when healthy this season, and Sunday's matchup was no different.
The Badgers roared out to 1-0 lead following the doubles portion, winning the two deciding matches by scores of 8-3, while leading 6-0 in the third match which was ended early to help shorten the match.
Kelsey Grambeau and Lauren Burich rebounded after losing their last two doubles matches, to top Utah State's Lexi Turley and Kallie Sperry. The Badger duo is now 4-2 on the season after finishing the fall 13-3.
"In doubles we made a big statement out there," head coach Tina Samara explained. "We didn't just win it, we won it pretty solid on every court and that sets a big momentum swing for singles. I think even if we had won the doubles point but they were really close, it's still a different mentality for their team and for our team going into the singles and that was really helpful going into the singles."
Lauren Chypyha and Maria Avgerinos showed how well they can work together yet again, winning their fourth-straight doubles match this spring. The pair knocked off Utah State's Maggie O'Meara and McKenzie Davis by a score of 8-3.
Samara chalked the duo's strong stretch up to confidence.
"They (Chypyha/Avgerinos) had a pretty good fall," Samara remarked. "We had a pretty good fall in general in doubles. I think it's just confidence. They needed to get a few wins under their belt I think as a team. Individually, they're starting to get more and more confident. We beat a team today that beat a team ranked #55 last week, so I think that's going to really help them mentally. Confidence in this sport, every sport, is everything, and it's getting better every match, so we're in a good position right now to continue doing good things."
Chypyha continued her dominance at the No. 1 singles spot so far this season, knocking off Utah State's No. 1 McKenzie Davis, 6-2, 7-5, to improve to 6-0 on the season. Meanwhile, Sydney Rider managed to knock off Utah State's Kallie Sperry, 6-1, 6-4 in No. 3 singles.
Lauren Burich picked up her second victory of the weekend at the No. 4 singles spot, topping Maggie O'Meara 6-2, 6-2, while Ekaterina Stepanova also notched win number two, staving off a late fight from USU's Meghan Lyall to finish 6-1, 7-5.
After winning the first set 6-4, Maria Avgerinos fought off a comeback attempt from Nini Guensler, who won the second set 6-4. Both teams gathered to watch their final two teammates face off in an electric, 10-point tiebreaker that did not disappoint any of the spectators. The two competitors battled to the final point, with Avgerinos taking the tiebreak, 10-7.
"We finally played like we can." Samara said of the match. "Finally, I think we saw what we're capable of on every court and that's great news. You always want to be moving in this direction (forward), not the other direction. I'm glad we're moving in the right direction."
Wisconsin 6, Utah State 1
Feb. 15, 2015
Nielsen Tennis Center
Singles:
Lauren Chypyha def. McKenzie Davis 6-2, 7-5
Maria Avgerinos def. Nini Guensler 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-7)
Sydney Rider def. Kallie Sperry 6-1, 6-4
Lauren Burich def. Maggie O'Meara 6-3, 6-2
Sabrina Demerath def. Kelsey Grambeau 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
Ekaterina Stepanova def. Meghan Lyall 6-1, 7-5
Doubles:
Burich/Grambeau def. Lexi Turley/Kallie Sperry 8-2
Chypyha/Avgerinos def. Maggie O'Meara/McKenzie Davis 8-3
Stepanova/Rider vs. Nini Guensler/Meghan Lyall 6-0 (Match decided, ended early)
