Lack of energy hurts KU

By C.J. Moore - Journal-World Sports Writer     Mar 12, 2007

Rachel Seymour
Rachel Seymour/Journal-World Photo KANSAS UNIVERSITY'S ELIZAVETA AVDEEVA strikes a forehand during doubles play against Louisville. The Jayhawks lost, 5-2, on Sunday.

It was a cold and overcast Sunday at the Robinson Courts, but it didn’t seem to bother Kansas University tennis players Edina Horvath and Elizaveta Avdeeva.

“Today for me it was good,” Avdeeva said. “It wasn’t windy. I usually complain about the sun, but today was perfect.”

The rest of the Jayhawks didn’t seem to shine in the dreary conditions. A day after beating Nebraska in its first outdoor competition of the season, KU lost, 5-2, to Louisville.

Horvath and Avdeeva, KU’s No. 1 doubles team, were the lone Jayhawks to win their doubles match and also the lone Jayhawks to win their singles matches.

“I didn’t feel like we came out with the momentum that we had from yesterday,” KU coach Amy Hall-Holt said. “I was disappointed in the energy level.”

Rachel Seymour
Kansas freshman Kunigunda Dorn swings against Louisviile during doubles on Sunday.

After falling behind 2-1 in their doubles match, Horvath and Avdeeva won seven straight games to improve their record to 11-2 on the season.

“Sometimes we start off slow, and then we catch up to speed and play much better,” Avdeeva said. “Today, it was 2-1, and then Edina was helping me out, ‘Come on Liza. Come on.’ And we did it again.”

The doubles tandem has excelled this season after being paired for the first time. Even playing against Louisville’s big hitter, Lauren Imre – who was also the Cardinals’ No. 1 singles player – Horvath and Avdeeva got on a roll.

“We got confident after the third or fourth game,” Horvath said. “The first couple of games, I was kind of sleeping.”

Avdeeva also got off to a slow start in her match at No. 2 singles. She lost her first set, 6-4, before rebounding to win the final two sets, 6-1, 6-2, against Louisville’s Natalie Lazkowski.

Horvath won her No. 3 singles match against Robyn White in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3.

The loss dropped the Jayhawks to 4-9 on the season.

KU will return to action in a two-day, round-robin tournament in Phoenix on March 22-23. The next dual meet is at Big 12 foe Baylor on March 30.

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