Colorado
Alabama
Women Netters Upset No. 37 Alabama, 4-3
January 29, 2006 | Tennis
BOULDER ? For the second time in as many weeks, freshman Franziska Jendrian recorded her second career clinching match helping the University of Colorado women's tennis team to a 4-3 upset win over No. 37 Alabama, Sunday afternoon at the Harvest House Millennium Hotel.
CU improves to 3-1 rebounding from Friday's loss to No. 21 BYU, 4-3; while the Crimson Tide heads back to Tuscaloosa 0-2 after falling to No. 52 Denver, 4-2 on Friday.
The Buffaloes once again tallied four singles wins from their underclassmen, three of those from freshmen and one from a sophomore. Against BYU, Colorado secured all three singles points from first-year student-athletes.
Sophomore Veera Nurmi, ranked No. 84 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) returned to the winners' circle after dropping her last two matches, took a straight winner 6-0, 6-4 at No. 4 to even the match at one after Alabama took the doubles point at No. 2 and No. 3.
With the score knotted at one, the Crimson Tide relied on their lone nationally ranked singles player at No. 1 to reclaim the advantage as No. 13 Robin Stephenson defeated No. 39 Jessica Vanderdys 6-3, 6-3 in a battle of ranked players.
From there, CU's dynamic freshmen of Monica Milewski and Ewa Losinski each won in straight sets at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively pushing CU ahead 3-2. Milewski, ranked No. 56 nationally ITA won her fourth consecutive match taking a 6-2, 6-2 winner at No. 2. It was also Milewski's 13th match win in 16 outings this year.
At No. 3 singles, Losinski remained unbeaten at 4-0 this spring defeating Mari Muller 7-5, 7-6(3).
Alabama rallied to even the team score at three as Andrea Brenes rebounded from a set down at No. 5 to defeat CU's Martina Sedivec 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 setting up the exciting conclusion to Jendrian's match.
Jendrian, CU's Athlete of the Week recipient a week ago after she clinched the team victory at No. 6 over No. 52 Denver on Jan. 20, took her opening set 6-1, then held on for a 7-6 (7-4) tie-breaker victory. After her opponent (Sofie Ayala) broke Jendrian's serve to make it 6-5 in the set, the CU freshman broke back, pushing the match into the tie-breaker. From there, the Rodleban, Germany native took matters in her own hands jumping out to a 5-1 lead and subsequently winning 7-4 for the final tally.
Just like her teammates, Milewski and Losinski, Jendrian remains unbeaten in dual match play at 4-0.
Next up for the Buffaloes is a two-match road trip to Washington State (Feb. 4) and Gonzaga (Feb. 5) before returning home to play No. 3 and 2005 NCAA national runner up Texas on Feb. 12 at the Boulder Country Club (10 a.m.).
No. 55 Colorado 4, No. 37 Alabama 3
CU (3-1), Alabama (0-2)
Jan. 29, Harvest House Millennium Hotel
Boulder, Colo.
1d) Bentley/Stephenson (Ala) vs. Milewski/Vanderdys (CU) ? did not finish
2d) Muller/Brenes (Ala) def. Losinski/Nurmi 8-4
3d) Ayala/Godwin (Ala) def. Jendrian/Sedivec 8-5
1s) (13) Robin Stephenson (Ala) def. (39) Jessica Vanderdys 6-3, 6-3
2s) (56) Monica Milewski (CU) def. Melissa Day 6-2, 6-2
3s) Ewa Losinski (CU) def. Mari Muller 7-5, 7-6(3)
4s) (84) Veera Nurmi (CU) def. Shelley Godwin 6-0, 6-4
5s) Andrea Brenes (Ala) def. Martina Sedivec 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
6s) Franziska Jendrian (CU) def. Sofia Ayala (Ala) 6-1, 7-6(4)
singles order of finish: 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Players Mentioned
