Wednesday, April 16
Waco, Texas
5:00 p.m.
Colorado
4
vs
2
Iowa State
Buffs Complete Comeback to Advance in Big 12 Championship
April 16, 2025 | Tennis
WACO, Texas – Colorado in its first trip to the Big 12 Championship since 2011, upset 11th-seeded Iowa State 4-2 in the first round. The Buffaloes won four straight matches after losing the doubles point and the first singles match.
Colorado (9-13) advanced in its conference tournament for the third time since 2010, avenging the heartbreaking loss to Iowa State (11-11) the first weekend of conference play. Even with a slow start to the match in doubles and the beginning of singles, the Buffs flipped the switch, winning four straight matches to complete the comeback.
"I am so proud of Buffs tonight," head coach Anthony Pham said. "Just an absolutely gutsy performance by our group. Our resilience was on full display tonight. We've obviously been in this position so many times this year, so for us to come through at this juncture in the season was gratifying."
After closing in on the comeback with wins from Ema Bubalo, Anya Nelson, and Pia Rebec to take a 3-2 lead, it came down to senior Mila Stanojevic. In the third set, she found herself down 5-3 with her career potentially coming to a close. But after four years in Boulder and 131 career wins, Stanojevic rattled off four straight games to keep the season alive and making it 132 wins as a Buff.
"I haven't been in the position to be the one to clinch it this season," Stanojevic said. "I was so happy to be in that position today. After working for four years to be in that position, to reward myself for that work is amazing."
Stanojevic now sits at 19th all-time at Colorado with 69 singles victories. She now tied her career high in singles wins in a season with 22.
"Mila was rock solid for us tonight," Pham commented. "Although it wasn't her best night, she had this steely determination that she was not going to be denied. For her to clinch that match was very fitting for all the work she's put in over her 4 years."
With the win, Colorado will advance to play the No. 6 seed Arizona State tomorrow in the second round of the Big 12 Championships.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Iowa State got off to a fast start in doubles behind a 6-2 victory from the 80th-ranked doubles pairing in the country, Cristina Ramos Sierra and Anna Kuearum. The pair took down Bubalo and Nelson.
The Cyclones kept the pressure on at No. 3 doubles. Suzanie Pretorius and Valeska San Martin Ramirez secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Rebec and Betina Tokac.
Alexin and Stanojevic were battling against Julia Camblor and Mari Paz Alberto Vilar at No. 2 doubles. The duo trailed 4-5 when the doubles point was clinched.
The action moved to singles, and the Cyclones kept their momentum after Camblor defeated Tokac 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to take a 2-0 lead.
Nelson won Colorado's first match of the day at No. 6 singles. She controlled the first set against San Martin Ramirez, winning 6-2. She had to battle in the second but ended with a 7-5 victory. The win was Nelson's first conference singles win of her career.
The team needed a spark early in singles, and Rebec lifted the team in the first set against Ramos Sierra at No. 4 singles. After fighting back and forth during the first set, the two were locked in a heated tiebreaker. Much like the set, neither could create any separation, but Rebec pounced on every opportunity to take the first set 7-6 (6). A dominating second set followed, winning 6-2, tying the match 2-2.
Completing the trio of wins that finished in a span of only a few minutes, Bubalo, after dropping a close first set to Alberto Vilar 6-4 at No. 3 singles, dominated the rest of the match. Bubalo closed the match, winning 12 of the next 15 games, including a 6-0 second set win. The match finished 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to give Colorado a 3-2 lead.
Ultimately, it came down to the top spot, and Stanojevic delivered. After losing the first set 6-4 to Kuearum, she recentered the match with a 6-1 second-set win to force a crucial third set. In the final set, she used all her experience, winning the final four games after being down 5-3 to clinch the match for Colorado.
Alexin had just begun the third set against Pretorius after splitting the first two sets before the match was clinched. They were tied 7-5, 4-6, 2-2 when the match was won.
UP NEXT
Colorado will return to the courts tomorrow for a rematch from last Sunday against sixth-seeded Arizona State. Doubles will begin at 3:00 p.m. MT on ESPN+.
RESULTS
Colorado 4, Iowa State 2
April 16, 2025
Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)
Doubles
Singles
NOTES
Colorado (9-13) advanced in its conference tournament for the third time since 2010, avenging the heartbreaking loss to Iowa State (11-11) the first weekend of conference play. Even with a slow start to the match in doubles and the beginning of singles, the Buffs flipped the switch, winning four straight matches to complete the comeback.
"I am so proud of Buffs tonight," head coach Anthony Pham said. "Just an absolutely gutsy performance by our group. Our resilience was on full display tonight. We've obviously been in this position so many times this year, so for us to come through at this juncture in the season was gratifying."
After closing in on the comeback with wins from Ema Bubalo, Anya Nelson, and Pia Rebec to take a 3-2 lead, it came down to senior Mila Stanojevic. In the third set, she found herself down 5-3 with her career potentially coming to a close. But after four years in Boulder and 131 career wins, Stanojevic rattled off four straight games to keep the season alive and making it 132 wins as a Buff.
"I haven't been in the position to be the one to clinch it this season," Stanojevic said. "I was so happy to be in that position today. After working for four years to be in that position, to reward myself for that work is amazing."
Stanojevic now sits at 19th all-time at Colorado with 69 singles victories. She now tied her career high in singles wins in a season with 22.
"Mila was rock solid for us tonight," Pham commented. "Although it wasn't her best night, she had this steely determination that she was not going to be denied. For her to clinch that match was very fitting for all the work she's put in over her 4 years."
With the win, Colorado will advance to play the No. 6 seed Arizona State tomorrow in the second round of the Big 12 Championships.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Iowa State got off to a fast start in doubles behind a 6-2 victory from the 80th-ranked doubles pairing in the country, Cristina Ramos Sierra and Anna Kuearum. The pair took down Bubalo and Nelson.
The Cyclones kept the pressure on at No. 3 doubles. Suzanie Pretorius and Valeska San Martin Ramirez secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Rebec and Betina Tokac.
Alexin and Stanojevic were battling against Julia Camblor and Mari Paz Alberto Vilar at No. 2 doubles. The duo trailed 4-5 when the doubles point was clinched.
The action moved to singles, and the Cyclones kept their momentum after Camblor defeated Tokac 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to take a 2-0 lead.
Nelson won Colorado's first match of the day at No. 6 singles. She controlled the first set against San Martin Ramirez, winning 6-2. She had to battle in the second but ended with a 7-5 victory. The win was Nelson's first conference singles win of her career.
The team needed a spark early in singles, and Rebec lifted the team in the first set against Ramos Sierra at No. 4 singles. After fighting back and forth during the first set, the two were locked in a heated tiebreaker. Much like the set, neither could create any separation, but Rebec pounced on every opportunity to take the first set 7-6 (6). A dominating second set followed, winning 6-2, tying the match 2-2.
Completing the trio of wins that finished in a span of only a few minutes, Bubalo, after dropping a close first set to Alberto Vilar 6-4 at No. 3 singles, dominated the rest of the match. Bubalo closed the match, winning 12 of the next 15 games, including a 6-0 second set win. The match finished 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to give Colorado a 3-2 lead.
Ultimately, it came down to the top spot, and Stanojevic delivered. After losing the first set 6-4 to Kuearum, she recentered the match with a 6-1 second-set win to force a crucial third set. In the final set, she used all her experience, winning the final four games after being down 5-3 to clinch the match for Colorado.
Alexin had just begun the third set against Pretorius after splitting the first two sets before the match was clinched. They were tied 7-5, 4-6, 2-2 when the match was won.
UP NEXT
Colorado will return to the courts tomorrow for a rematch from last Sunday against sixth-seeded Arizona State. Doubles will begin at 3:00 p.m. MT on ESPN+.
RESULTS
Colorado 4, Iowa State 2
April 16, 2025
Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)
Doubles
- No. 80 Cristina Ramos Sierra/Anna Kuearum (ISU) def. Ema Bubalo/Anya Nelson (CU) 6-2
- Lera Alexin/Mila Stanojevic (CU) vs. Julia Camblor/Mari Paz Alberto Vilar (ISU) 4-5, unf.
- Suzanie Pretorius/Valeska San Martin Ramirez (ISU) def. Pia Rebec/Betina Tokac (CU) 6-3
Singles
- Mila Stanojevic (CU) def. Anna Kuearum (ISU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
- Julia Camblor (ISU) def. Betina Tokac (CU) 6-0, 6-2
- Ema Bubalo (CU) def. Mari Paz Alberto Vilar (ISU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
- Pia Rebec (CU) def. Cristina Ramos Sierra (ISU) 7-6 (6), 6-2
- Lera Alexin (CU) vs. Suzanie Pretorius (ISU) 7-5, 4-6, 2-2, unf.
- Anya Nelson (CU) def. Valeska San Martin Ramirez (ISU) 6-2, 7-5
NOTES
- Colorado improves to 9-13 on the season and 6-0 all-time against Iowa State on a neutral site.
- This was the furthest-ranked win in the calendar year since beating Kansas in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championships on April 28, 2008.
- This is the first win at the Big 12 Championships since defeating Kansas State on April 29, 2010.
- Anya Nelson won her first conference singles match of her career.
- Mila Stanojevic won her 69th singles match, the 19th most, and her 132nd overall match, which is the 14th most in CU history.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
467
Anna Kuearum / 0 [ISU]
615
#2 Singles Match
12
02
Julia Camblor / 0 [ISU]
66
#3 Singles Match
123
466
Mari Paz Vilar / 0 [ISU]
603
#4 Singles Match
12
76
Cris. Ramos Sierra / 0 [ISU]
62
#5 Singles Match
1234
742UF
Suzanie Pretorius / 0 [ISU]
562UF
#6 Singles Match
12
67
Valeska San Martin / 0 [ISU]
25
Order of Finish:
2,6,4,3,1
Players Mentioned
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