The Kansas women’s tennis team picked up a big 5-2 win on its home court Sunday afternoon against No. 23 Washington.
Washington (8-4) earned the doubles point to open the match through wins on courts one and three. At doubles three, Maria Toran Ribes and Julia Deming got off to a slow start dropping KU’s first match, 6-1. Moments later, the 28th-ranked pair Malkia Ngounoue and Luniuska Delgado fell, 6-2, to Vanessa Wong and Natsuho Arakawa of Washington.
The Jayhawks (3-4) responded by claiming five wins in singles action. Carmen Roxana Manu took down No. 110 Katarina Kopcalic, 6-3, 6-3, for her first ranked win of her career. Sonia Smagina (No. 96) followed suit, defeating the 66th-ranked Wong in a thrilling 6-4, 6-2 match on court one.
Delgado captured the third win of singles action over Sedona Gallagher, 6-3, 6-3. Freshman Vasiliki Karvouni topped Nika Zupancic 6-1, 6-3, while Toran Ribes closed the match with a three-set triumph over Zoey Weil, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1. On court two, No. 113 Ngounoue fell to No. 82 Arakawa, 6-4, 7-6.
“We did a great job of responding and competing with a purpose in singles after a very poor double point,” KU head coach Todd Chapman said in a team release. “I am proud of how we let the doubles go and moved on against a very quality opponent in Washington.”
Kansas will host Tulsa at 4 p.m. Feb. 25.