Kansas has reached the NCAA women’s tennis tournament in each of the past four postseasons.
That streak is in jeopardy as the Jayhawks (12-11 overall, 5-6 in Big 12) prepare for the 2000 Big 12 Championships today through Sunday at The Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Mo.
“We must have a very good showing. I’d say at least reach the semifinals, or beat somebody we lost to in the regular season,” KU coach Jenny Garrity said of KU assuring an NCAA spot.
KU enters the postseason with five losses in six matches, a stat that isn’t going to impress NCAA Committee members who award at-large berths.
“At this point of the season it is, ‘How hard are you going to fight?”‘ Garrity said.
She will find out at 2:30 p.m. today when the Jayhawks, the No. 7 seed in the tourney, take on No. 10-seed Iowa State (7-12, 1-10). The winner meets No. 2 seed Baylor (19-3, 9-2) at 4 p.m. Friday.
KU beat Iowa State, 7-2, during the regular season. Baylor tripped the Jayhawks, 6-3.
“We are not mentioning anything with the letter ‘B’ — nothing close to it,” Garrity quipped, noting the Jayhawks are intent on the first-round match.
KU beat Iowa State, 7-2, earlier this season, coincidentally at The Plaza courts.
“We must get off to a good start and let them (Cyclones) know we are serious,” Garrity said. “Even though we beat them fairly handily the first time, it’s easy to let something like this slip. Teams that look ahead do not move forward.”
KU’s No. 1 player, Brooke Chiller, enters with a 16-17 record. Monica Sekulov is 22-15, Christi Wagenaar 19-12, Tiffany Chang 19-15, Cheryl Mallaiah 18-17, Lisa Mallaiah 17-8, Julia Sidorova 15-6 and Kim Lorenz 3-7.
TODAY’S MATCHES
12 p.m. — No. 8 Oklahoma v. No. 9 Colorado; No. 5 Kansas State v. No. 12 Missouri.
2:30 p.m. — No. 6 Nebraska v. No. 11 Texas Tech; No. 7 Kansas v. No. 10 Iowa State.
FRIDAY’S MATCHES
8:30 a.m. — OU-CU winner v. No. 1 Texas.
11 a.m. — KSU-MU winner v. No. 4 Oklahoma State.
1:30 p.m. — NU-TT winner v. No. 3 Texas A&M.
4 p.m. — KU-ISU winner v. No. 2 Baylor
