Luduena Leads Jayhawks on Day One of CCLR Collegiate Invite

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Half of the Kansas tennis team looked to shake off the rust of the off-season, while the other half had to wait another day due to poor weather conditions as the Jayhawks opened their fall tournament slate in Arkansas and Texas Friday.
 
Maria Belen Luduena, Maria Jose Cardona, Madison Harrison and Rachel McNeely competed for Kansas at the CCLR Collegiate Invite in Little Rock, with Luduena earning the lone win for the Jayhawks in singles play.
 
“We definitely didn’t start the season off the way we wanted to,” Kansas head coach Todd Chapman said. “We struggled today. We didn’t play at the level I expect Kansas tennis to play at. The positive is that we get the opportunity to come out tomorrow and try to turn things around. I believe the girls will respond in a positive way.”
 
Luduena fought off a challenge in her second set to defeat Arkansas’ Nicole Breaux, 6-4, 7-6, but the rest of the KU contingent fell in straight sets. Harrison dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Arkansas’ Oleksandra Shkorupeieva and McNeely fell, 6-2, 6-3, to Kathryn Hughes of Memphis. The duo also lost in doubles play, 8-3.
 
Luduena and Cardona received a bye in the first round and were slated to compete in doubles action Saturday.
 
Kansas sent seven other players to Midland, Texas where they were unable to play today due to a rain.

Follow KUAthletics.com for updates and results from both the Midland Invitational and the CCLR Collegiate Invite.
 
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