Sooners Win Bedlam Marathon, 4-3

NORMAN, Okla. Extending its winning streak to four straight matches, the Oklahoma women's tennis team battled to a 4-3 win over in-state rival Oklahoma State Wednesday, April 13 at the DeBois Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla.

The Sooners took the doubles point and won three of the singles positions in a match that lasted over five hours and 30 minutes. Oklahoma pushed its record to 13-8 overall with a 3-2 mark in the Big 12 while OSU fell to 6-13 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

“It was a tremendous win for our team today,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “I have to give OSU a lot of credit because they really fought hard. It was a great match between two teams who put it all on the line today."

See how the Sooners stack up against OSU in the Bedlam Series presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers!

With the match tied at three for each team, it came down to OU senior Jessica Braver at the No. 4 slot. Braver dropped the first set, 1-6, but held on in the second set for a 6-3 win to force a final set. Braver rallied to a 7-5 third-set win to earn the victory for the Sooners.

Prior to Braver's win, senior Heather Saluri won another close three-set match. Saluri came out strong in the first set, winning it 6-4, but dropped the second set, 4-6. Saluri bounced back in the final set to win it 6-3 and add a point to the Sooner scoreboard.

“I can't say enough about Jessica (Braver) and Heather's (Saluri) performances tonight,” Johnson said. “They both came from behind when we were depending on them and helped us secure the win. It was great senior leadership by them today.”

Also adding points for the Sooners was freshman Christy Greenly who won in straight sets (7-6, 6-1) over OSU's Sandra Blajer at the No. 6 spot to wrap up her ninth win of the season.

OU claimed the doubles point, winning two out of three positions. The pair of freshman Christi Baxley and senior Bethany Griffin handily defeated OSU's duo of Blajer and Jessica Collins, 8-2, at the No. 2 position for their eighth win of the season, a Sooner best. Clinching the doubles point for the OU was the tandem of Saluri and Greenly who won a close tie-breaker, 9-8 (5), at the No. 3 slot.

OU will look to extend its winning streak this weekend when its hosts Texas Tech, Saturday April 16 at 10 a.m. and Missouri, Sunday, April 17 at 12 p.m. Both matches will be held at the OU Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma 4, Oklahoma State 3
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
DeBois Tennis Center - Stillwater, Okla.

Singles
1. Iryna Tkachenko (No. 79) (OSU) def. Irina Lykina (OU) 6-4, 6-3
2. Heather Saluri (OU) def. Zana Masnic (OSU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
3. Lauren Simmons (OSU) def. Bethany Griffin (OU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
4. Jessica Braver (OU) def. Jennifer Poskitt (OSU) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Jessica Collins (OSU) def. Christi Baxley (OU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Christy Greenly (OU) def. Sandra Blajer (OSU) 7-6, 6-1

Doubles
1. Masnic/Tkachenko (OSU) def. Lykina/Braver (OU) 8-6
2. Baxley/Griffin (OU) def. Blajer/Collins (OSU) 8-2
3. Saluri/Greenly (OU) def. Poskitt/Simmons (OSU) 9-8(5)

Order of Finish
D2, D1, D3, S5, S1, S6, S2, S3, S4

Next Event

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics