Women's Tennis Dominates Big 12 Opener at Kansas State, 4-1Women's Tennis Dominates Big 12 Opener at Kansas State, 4-1
Conor Kvatek / UCF Athletics

Women's Tennis Dominates Big 12 Opener at Kansas State, 4-1

by Alex Clough
Box Score (PDF) Opens in a new window

MANHATTAN, Kansas - While a two-month conference slate awaits, all the No. 44 UCF women’s tennis team can do is take it one match at a time, a sentiment they showed with a dominating win at No. 73 Kansas State Friday evening, 4-1.

A contested doubles point at the Mike Goss Tennis Stadium preceded a rather calm singles display from the Knights (9-1), as the front two courts proved to be the strength once again, as the Wildcats (3-5) took a lone court in the process.

Offering the same doubles lineup as the team’s opening two season contests, the Black and Gold had to climb out of an early hole as freshmen Olivia Bergler and Jade Psonka were defeated on court three, 6-1.

Sophia Biolay and Aya El Aouni bounced back into the win column with the leveler, defeating the Wildcats on court two, 7-5. Mirroring that same result, the opening point was sealed on one as Olivia Lincer and Hannah Rylatt, ranked among the top-50 to begin the season, tallied their second win to secure UCF the early advantage.

The two teams split first sets in singles, with Psonka reversing a deficit to claim a lead that proved to be the turning point for the squad after Kansas State leveled the duel on court four. 

Back in the lineup for the first time since Air Force earlier this month, Lincer wasted no time in claiming her fourth win of the season. The sophomore remained unbeaten with a composed straight-set triumph on court two, 6-4, 7-5. 

Leading the squad on one, No. 122 El Aouni continues to impress in her first collegiate season, securing her first conference win to move the Knights within one, 6-4, 6-3. UCF has yet to drop a match on courts one and two, boasting a remarkable 15-0 record through nine matches.

After prevailing 7-5 in the first set, Psonka finished the job with her third clinch of the season, defeating the Wildcats’ Tereza Polakova convincingly in the second, 6-2. 

Biolay was leading 3-1 in her three-set match on court three, while Rylatt was on the brink of sending her court-three contest to a third after falling in the first set.

UP NEXT

An anticipated bout between two of the top three teams in the Big 12 preseason poll will see the Knights venture south to Stillwater for a meeting with No. 25 Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.

Singles Results

  1. #122 Aya El Aouni (UCF) def. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) 6-4, 6-3 
  2. Olivia Lincer (UCF) def. Zhanel Rustemova (KSU) 6-4, 7-5 
  3. Maralgoo Chomsomjav (KSU) vs. #98 Sophia Biolay (UCF) 6-2, 3-6, 1-3, unfinished 
  4. Maria Santos (KSU) def. Olivia Bergler (UCF) 6-2, 6-4 
  5. Jade Psonka (UCF) def. Tereza Polakova (KSU) 7-5, 6-2 
  6. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) vs. Hannah Rylatt (UCF) 6-3, 4-5, unfinished

Doubles Results

  1. Olivia Lincer/Hannah Rylatt (UCF) def. Maralgoo Chomsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) 7-5 
  2. Sophia Biolay/Aya El Aouni (UCF) def. Sana Garakani/Tereza Polakova (KSU) 7-5 
  3. Veronika Kulhava/Maria Santos (KSU) def. Jade Psonka/Olivia Bergler (UCF) 6-1