Feb. 26, 2012
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - One day after picking up the program's first win over a ranked opponent in nearly three seasons, Auburn women's tennis dropped a nail-biter to Oklahoma State 4-3 in the final day of action at the Blue-Gray Tennis Classic.
"Saturday definitely took a toll on us physically and mentally," Auburn coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner said. "I was disappointed that we came out flat in doubles today, and that was the determining factor in this match. I always want our teams to be competitive in doubles and we have to continue to work on that part of the game so that we don't dig ourselves a hole. We will learn from today and get better."
Auburn dug itself that hole after it dropped the doubles point to the Cowgirls. The duo of Plamena Kurteva and Paulina Schippers fell 8-0, and then the team of Bennett and Pfeifler dropped a hard-fought match-up, 8-4. The third doubles match was left unfinished.
The Tigers battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the match at 3-3 behind a trio of individual wins, the first coming from Olivia Bennett at No. 5, 6-2, 6-4. Jen Pfeifler made things more interesting with one of her best efforts this season. She recorded a three-set winner at No. 2, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 against OSU's Malika Rose to knot the points at three.
Just when the teams thought things couldn't get any more nerve-racking, the tension on the courts went to a new level when Kanyapat Narattana withdrew at No. 3. Auburn's Jackie Kasler was declared the winner of the match with the score standing at 3-3 in the third set after they had split the first two sets 7-6 and 3-6.
Kasler's win evened the match at three points apiece and set the stage for Taylor Schreimann at No. 6. Schreimann, who had begun playing later due to the lack of an available court, came up short at the number six post, 1-6, 2-6.
The Tigers are in action next on Friday when they open SEC play against Ole Miss at 2 p.m. at the Yarbrough Tennis Complex in Auburn.
Oklahoma State 4, Auburn 3
DOUBLES
No. 1 - No. 52 Malika Rose/Kanyapat Narattana (OSU) def. Plamena Kurteva/Paulina Schippers (AU), 8-0
No. 2 - Meghan Blevins/Mary Jeremiah (OSU) vs. Jackie Kasler/Emily Flickinger (AU), DNF
No. 3 - C.C. Sardinha/Isabela Miro (OSU) def. Olivia Bennett/Jen Pfeifler (AU), 8-4
SINGLES
No. 1 - C.C. Sardinha (OSU) def. Emily Flickinger (AU), 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 - Jen Pfeifler (AU) def. Malika Rose (OSU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-6
No. 3 - Meghan Blevins (OSU) def. Paulina Schippers (AU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 - Jackie Kasler (AU) def. Kanyapat Narattana (OSU), 7-6, 3-6, 3-3 inj
No. 5 - Olivia Bennett (AU) def. Mary Jeremiah (OSU), 6-2, 6-4
No. 6 - Isabela Miro def. Taylor Schreimann (AU), 6-1, 6-2