Kansas Can't Hold off Late Sooner Rally in 4-3 Setback

Jayhawks Will Conclude Regular Season on Sunday against Texas A&M

Junior Elizaveta Avdeeva

April 18, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Kansas dropped a heartbreaker at Oklahoma on Wednesday, falling victim to a late Sooner comeback, 4-3. The Jayhawks' record drops to 4-15, 2-8 with just one contest remaining before the Big 12 Championships.

KU opened the match by winning two of three doubles contests to secure the point, a feat not accomplished by the team since its March 10 win over Nebraska. Kansas then quickly extended its lead to 2-0 after a dominating performance by junior Elizaveta Avdeeva in the No. 1 singles spot in which she handled OU's Gabby Baker, 6-3, 6-1.

Oklahoma inched closer with a victory in the No. 6 contest, but KU's Yuliana Svistun put her team up 3-1, one win shy of clinching the victory, with her heated 7-6 (0), 7-6 (4) triumph over Chelsea Orr. Svistun's win improved the Ufa, Russia, native to 14-5 this spring, which includes a mark of 7-2 in conference matches in the No. 5 slot.

From that point on, however, the dual belonged to Oklahoma, as the Sooners took the three remaining singles contests en route to the comeback victory. Sophomore Edina Horvath appeared to be in good shape after a commanding 6-3 win over OU's Monica Purice in the first set of the No. 2 match, but she, along with junior Lauren Hommell and freshman Kunigunda Dorn, could not fend off the Sooners' late surge.

Doubles play provided several highlights for KU, as its No. 1 duo of Avdeeva and Horvath snapped a two-match losing streak with an 8-5 victory. Also recording a win was the tandem of Hommell and Dorn, who won the No. 2 contest by a count of 8-2. Wednesday marked the first time this season that Kansas secured the doubles point and failed to win dual.

The Jayhawks will look to end the regular season on a strong note when they host 20^th-ranked Texas A&M on Sunday. The contest is set to begin at 11 a.m.

Results

Singles

1) Elizaveta Avdeeva (KU) def. Gabby Baker (OU), 6-3, 6-1

2) Monica Purice (OU) def. Edina Horvath (KU), 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2

3) Irina Lykina (OU) def. Kunigunda Dorn (KU), 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4

4) Christi Baxley (OU) def. Lauren Hommell (KU), 6-5, 1-6, 6-1

5) Yuliana Svistun (KU) def. Chelsea Orr (OU), 7-6 (0), 7-6 (4)

6) Anne Carter (OU) def. Stephanie Smith (KU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-2

Doubles

1) Avdeeva/Horvath (KU) def. Baker/Lykina (OU) 8-5

2) Dorn/Hommell (KU) def. Price/Baxley (OU) 8-2

3) Orr/Cox (OU) def. Smith/Svistun (KU) 8-2