Colorado Hands OU 4-3 Loss

NORMAN, Okla. - In its final match of the regular season, the Oklahoma women's tennis team lost to Colorado, 4-3, Saturday, April 23 at the South Campus Tennis Courts in Boulder, Colo. OU, currently ranked No. 64 in the ITA rankings, swept the doubles portion of the match and claimed two of six singles wins, but still fell short of the No. 62 Buffaloes.

The Sooners finish the regular season with an overall mark of 14-11 and a 4-7 record in Big 12 play while Colorado improved its overall record to 10-10 and 5-5 in conference play.

Oklahoma started off strong in doubles, winning all three positions. At the top doubles spot, the duo of sophomore Irina Lykina and senior Jessica Braver defeated CU's Kendra Strandemo and Jessica Vanderlys, 8-5, and picked up their sixth win of the season. At the No. 2 spot, the tandem of senior Bethany Griffin and freshman Christi Baxley claimed a Sooner-best 10th win of the season with an 8-4 defeat over CU's Lynzee Kever and Martina Sedivec. Rounding out the Sooner sweep at doubles was the No. 3 pair of senior Heather Saluri and freshman Christy Greenly, who won a 9-8 (4) tiebreaker over Colorado's pair of Gleisy Torres Torres and Jenny Hanson.

In singles action, Braver hung tough at the No. 4 spot, winning the first set tiebreaker, 7-6 (4), and dominating the second set, 6-2, for the victory over CU's Sedivec. It marked Braver's sixth Big 12 win of the season and her 14th overall this spring.

Adding the final point to the OU scoreboard was Baxley who defeated CU's Veera Nurmi in three sets at the No. 5 position. Baxley dropped the first set, 6-3, but took the second set 7-5 to send it to a final set. The netter from New Braunfels, Texas won the match with a 7-5 third set victory. The win pushed Baxley's record to 18-4 on the season, a Sooner best, and 8-3 in Big 12 play.

Currently, the Sooners are in seventh place in the Big 12 standings with a 4-7 record. If No. 55 Missouri (14-7, 4-6 Big 12) beats No. 10 Texas Sunday, the Tigers could move into seventh and push the Sooners to eighth. The Sooners handed Missouri a 4-3 loss last Sunday, April 17.

Oklahoma will begin first-round action of the Big 12 Championships Thursday, April 28 at 10 a.m. at the Penick Allison Tennis Center in Austin, Texas. OU's seed and opponent in the tournament will be announced this Monday, April 25. The Sooners lost to Texas A&M in the semifinals of the 2004 Big 12 Championships.

No. 62 Colorado 4, No. 64 Oklahoma 3
Saturday, April 23, 2005
South Campus Tennis Courts - Boulder, Colo.

Singles
1) Lynzee Kever (CU) def. Irina Lykina 7-6(4), 6-3
2) Kendra Strandemo (CU) def. Heather Saluri 6-2, 6-2
3) Jessica Vanderdys (CU) def. Bethany Griffin 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
4) Jessica Braver (OU) def. Martina Sedivec 7-6(4), 6-2
5) Christi Baxley (OU) def. Veera Nurmi 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
6) Gleisy Torres Torres (CU) def. Christy Greenly 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4

Doubles
1) Lykina/Braver (OU) def. (43) Strandemo/Vanderdys 8-5
2) Griffin/Baxley (OU) def. Kever/Sedivec 8-4
3) Saluri/Greenly (OU) def. Torres Torres/Jenny Hanson 9-8(4)

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