The Cougars’ four-match win streak came to an end when they were blanked by two-time defending Conference USA Champion Tulsa 7-0 Sunday at John E. Hoff Courts.
‘ The day started off terribly for UH, as it dropped all three doubles matches. Tulsa senior Thalia Diaz-Barriga teamed with junior Marta Marcinkowska to down UH senior Lynley Wasson and sophomore Joanna Kacprzyk, 8-2.’
Senior Jordan McCombs and sophomore Lucy Forward fell to Golden Hurricane junior Jie Zeng and freshman Anastasia Erofeeva, 8-4. Sophomore Laura Ring and senior Vicky Simpson came closest to victory, but fell to Tulsa sophomore Alexandra Kichoutkin and junior Rebecca Row, 8-6.
UH competed hard in singles competition, but dropped all six matches in straight sets. Wasson fell to Kichoutkin in the No. 1 slot, 6-1, 6-0. Ring dropped the No. 2 match to Zeng, 6-3, 6-1.
Kacprzyk came slightly closer in the No. 3 spot, but fell to Diaz-Barriga 6-3, 6-2. In the No. 4 match, junior Neila Starrat lost to Erofeeva, 6-3, 6-2.
Simpson dropped the No. 5 match to Row, 7-6, 6-2. Freshman Alix Young rounded out a disappointing day with a loss to freshman Ewa Szatkowska, 6-2, 6-2. Young’s loss marks the first time that UH dropped a No. 6 match this spring (16-1).
The Cougars had more success against Texas-Pan American, taking the match 5-2 on Saturday.
UH swept all three doubles matches to gain the match’s first point. In single’s action, Forward and Ring dropped the No. 1 and 2 matches. However, UH rebounded to sweep the final four matches of the day and grab the victory.
Wasson got the Cougars back on the winning track by defeating UTPA freshman Malin Anderson, 6-1, 6-2, in the No. 3 slot. Kacprzyk won the No. 4 match, outlasting junior Megan Bedeau, 6-1, 6-7, 10-8.
Simpson won the Cougars third straight singles match, topping freshman Reetta Raty, 6-1, 7-5. Starratt capped another UH victory with a 6-1, 6-1 win over junior Sarah Burton.
UH will look to rebound when it faces Southeastern Louisiana on April 8 in Hammond, La.
